Three's Company Meets Magnum, PI
by Peanuts
Summary: Janet and Terri are living in Hawaii. Janet is working part-time for Thomas Magnum, PI. Jack is about to visit. What will happen when some wrong conclusions are drawn but there might also be danger looming around them? This story is now COMPLETE!
1. Default Chapter

Author's Note: Hi! This idea came to me for a story, so I'm trying it out. I'm not sure where I'll go with this or how often I'll be able to update but, hopefully, the idea(s) I have will stay with me. Jack is not in this first chapter, which I know is very short, but he will be in the story soon.

This takes place after the show ended with Terri moving to Hawaii. In this story, Janet didn't marry Phillip. She moved to Hawaii with Terri. They're sharing a condo in Honolulu. Jack stayed in LA, but he's not with Vicky. He will soon be in Hawaii, too, for a long overdue visit.

The characters from Magnum, PI, are:

Thomas Magnum – Private Investigator

Jonathan Higgins – Major Domo of novelist Robin Masters' estate

Rick Wright – Manager of the private, member only King Kamehameha Club

Theodore Calvin (TC) – Owns his own helicopter service

The guard dogs are Zeus and Apollo

I don't know how much I will write for the other Magnum characters, but if you see any of those names, you'll know where they came from.

Thanksfor reading and giving this a try. Hopefully, you'll like it.

* * *

_Honolulu (North Shore), Hawaii_

Chapter 1

As Thomas Magnum reviewed the typed pages of notes that had been transcribed for his current case and saw how well-organized his files looked, he couldn't help but compliment the one responsible for his sudden and totally unexpected efficiency.

"Janet, you're a wonder. I knew I was right to choose you. I'm very glad you answered my ad."

Janet Wood beamed. "Thank you, sir."

The tall, dark-haired, well-built man with a trademark full upper lip mustache leaned against the arm of the sofa and crossed his tanned arms in front of his red printed Aloha shirt. He gave his part-time assistant of two weeks a warm smile. "Janet, how many times do I have to tell you not to call me 'sir' or 'Mr. Magnum'? My name is Thomas."

Janet's lightly tanned cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink as she shyly bowed her head. "I know. I just can't get used to this."

"What? Working in these small quarters behind the luxurious and spacious main house of Robin Masters' estate? Who could get used to that?"

They shared a friendly laugh.

"No," Janet said, playfully swatting his muscular, jean-clad thigh, surprising both of them. "You know I like it here. Not that I don't like Jonathan Higgins or the dogs, but," she said, looking around at the living room/dining room that definitely had a lived-in look to it, "this is…cozy."

Thomas tilted his head back and laughed out loud. "Cozy? I've never heard anyone describe my place using that word. My humble abode and I thank you."

Janet smirked and swatted him again. She was in a good mood but had no idea why. He moved away from the sofa and gave her a winning smile.

"You've definitely earned your money for today. What do you say we go to the Club for a bite to eat?"

"Sure," Janet said, returning papers to the file folders that were scattered on the coffee table next to the typewriter. "I'll meet you there in an hour? Maybe Terri will come, too, if she's not working at the hospital."

"Sounds great. I know Rick will enjoy seeing her again."

The petite, dark-haired, dark-eyed woman gave her employer a serious look. "You're not encouraging Rick that he has a chance with Terri, are you? I told you she likes him, but not in that way."

"I know, I know. But she's not seeing anyone seriously, right?"

"Well, no, but…"

He smiled. "Then, maybe the more time she spends around him, the more she'll see what a great guy he is."

"Maybe," Janet said, somewhat doubtfully.

Thomas escorted her up the stairs and to the white compact car she and Terri shared.

"See you in an hour," he said and waved.

He watched her as she drove off. What he didn't see was the frown that marred her lovely features. How could Terri Alden ever see Rick Wright as more than a nice guy when she only had eyes for Thomas Magnum, PI?


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

When Janet arrived home eager to tell Terri they had dinner plans, she found her friend talking on the phone. The smiling blonde indicated Jack Tripper was on the line. Janet nodded happily.

"Jack, I think it's great," Janet heard her say. "I'm looking forward to it, and I know Janet will be, too. In fact, she just walked in. I'll let you tell her the news."

They said their good-byes, and then Janet, after giving Terri a questioning glance, took the receiver from her hand.

"Hi, Jack," Janet said, anxious to hear the news. "How's it goin'?"

"Things have been okay. How about you?"

Janet made herself comfortable on the sofa and placed the phone in her lap. "I've been doing well."

"You sound happy."

"I am. You have a bit of excitement in your voice. What's your news?"

"I was just telling Terri that I'm going to be visiting you two soon."

Janet sat up straighter on the couch. "You are? Jack, that's great. When are you coming?"

"This weekend. I arrive Friday night."

"What! Jack Tripper, how long have you known about this trip?"

He laughed because he could so easily picture his friend's indignation. She had probably balled her free hand into a fist and was aiming it for the receiver. "For almost a month," he admitted. "But I didn't want to say anything until I was sure I could swing it."

"Are you coming with someone? How will you be able to fly such a long distance, non-stop?"

"I'm coming by myself, and I'll be fine."

She doubted that, but she wanted to give her former roommate the benefit of the doubt.

"Well, you know we can't wait to see you. It'll be like old times."

"It sure will. I have to attend conferences during the days I'm there in place of Mr. Angelino, but that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Not at all. Terri will be working, and if I'm not at the flower stand, I'll probably be with Magnum, so it should work out great for us to spend the evenings together."

"What's a 'Magnum'?" Jack asked, clearly confused.

Janet laughed. "It's not a what, Jack, it's a who."

"Okay. Who is 'Magnum'?"

"I just started working for him part-time. He's a private investigator."

"A private eye?" Jack asked, sounding dubious. "Janet, why would you want to work for a PI?"

"Thomas Magnum prefers the term 'private investigator', and it's actually kind of fun."

"Oh, well, excuse me. But fun? I can't picture you hanging out with a private whatever. What happened to the flower stand job?"

"Oh, I still have that and love it, but working for Magnum is giving me a little extra cash, which I can use, believe me."

"You're not following him around on his seedy cases, are you?"

Janet rolled her eyes. Jack had watched too many movies. "No. I work out of his home."

"That's even worse!" Jack declared.

Janet couldn't help but laugh at her friend's obvious outrage.

"Jack, what is wrong with you? I'm not doing anything wrong, immoral or illegal."

"Well, we'll just see about that," Jack said. "Now, I really can't wait to get on that island and find out just exactly what my girls have been up to."

"Your girls?" Janet questioned.

"Yes. I still think of you and Terri as the women I like and need to protect. Is there something wrong with that?"

"No, but we're not exactly close enough for you to protect."

"I know. But I will be once I land on Oahu, so this Magnum person better watch out because Jack Tripper will soon be on his way."

Janet couldn't hide a smile. "I think we'll all be fine, Jack. You just have a safe trip and get here as soon as you can."

Janet continued to hold the phone in her lap after the call had ended. She took a moment to reflect on their conversation. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn she had heard a touch of jealousy in Jack's voice. But there was no way that could be possible, was there?


	3. Chapter 3

(Author's Note: Thank you for the nice reviews. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Becky, please feel free to add this story to your Web page. Thank you for asking!)

* * *

Chapter 3

The next day as Janet sat in his living room in front of the typewriter, Thomas noticed that she was staring into space more than she was actually working. He set a glass of iced tea on the table and after taking a sip of his own tea; he positioned himself on the arm of the sofa and decided to pull her from her thoughts.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Her startled look as his voice penetrated told him she had been very far away.

"Sure," she said, trying to recover. "Why?"

He pointed to the blank white piece of paper in the typewriter.

"Not that I'm complaining because we all have off days, but you have seemed distracted since your arrival."

Janet took a refreshing swallow of the cool beverage and then leaned back against the cushions.

"I'd like to ask you a question about your job, but if I'm out of line, just tell me. Okay?"

"Okay."

"What's the seediest case you've ever had?"

Thomas did a double take and then tried not to look affronted.

"I'm not sure I know what you're asking. Did you hear something from someone?"

Letting out a frustrated groan, Janet quickly rose from the couch. She raked her fingers through her hair as she paced a small area of the living room.

"I'm sorry," she finally said. "This is all Jack's fault."

"Jack? The guy you and Terri were talking about at the Club last night?"

"Yes," she said and shook her head.

"You two seemed so happy to share the news that he's coming for a visit. You couldn't stop smiling last night. Why the frown today?"

"Something he said during our phone conversation started to bother me. I tried not to think about it, but it's there, nagging at me, and it won't go away."

"Does this have something to do with your earlier question about me and my 'questionable' cases?"

Janet sighed and tried to look appeasing. "Please don't take this the wrong way, Mr. Mag...I mean, Thomas, but it's just when I told Jack I was working for a private investigator, he seemed to lose it a little, and it really took me by surprise."

"He doesn't like private investigators?" Thomas asked, slightly amused.

"I don't know," Janet answered, running her fingers through her short hair once more. "The whole time we were roommates, the subject never came up."

"But now it has," Thomas said, "and it seems you care a great deal about what your friend thinks."

"Well, he is a good friend," Janet said. "One of my best friends, actually, even though we're no longer sharing an apartment."

"And he seems to be looking out for you by questioning your working for me?"

"Isn't it silly?" she said, trying to lighten the mood. "I told him I wasn't doing anything illegal. I'm not, am I?"

Thomas laughed. "Not that I know of. But if you're not comfortable, I'll understand. I'd hate to lose you, but you have to do what you think is best and what you can live with."

"Thomas," Janet admitted, "I've been having a good time since I moved to Hawaii. After some things in my life started to go very wrong, I wasn't sure what the future held for me. Terri moving to Hawaii and convincing me to join her has done wonders for my disposition. I really enjoy working with flowers, especially the exotic ones here on the island, but working for you is a nice change of pace. As long as you can assure me that I won't get carted off for doing something I'm not supposed to, then I want to continue working for you."

"What about Jack's concerns?" Thomas asked, deciding he wanted to be fair.

"He'll see for himself what a great guy you are when he gets here. I miss him so much, as does Terri, and we can't wait to see him, but I want him to see that I've adjusted to my new life here. A new life that now includes you."

"I'm looking forward to meeting him. The way you and Terri talked about him, he sounds like a heck of a guy."

"He is. Despite his, I don't know what else to call them except suspicions; I know you two are going to hit it off. I just know it."

* * *

With his best friend Larry's help at the airport, Jack got himself into a relaxed enough state to actually be looking forward to boarding the plane. Now that he was airborne and gripping the arm rests until his knuckles were white, he couldn't remember why he had been so ready to get on the plane. As time passed, though, the attractive female attendants and the so-far smooth flight were helping to keep his blood pressure under control.

After eating the somewhat tastier parts of his dinner, he accepted a blanket and a pillow from a particularly friendly blonde attendant and settled himself in his window seat. Not interested in watching the movie, he closed his eyes and tried to get some sleep. Thoughts of Terri, and especially of Janet, kept him from dozing off.

Larry had actually laughed outright and called his friend paranoid when he had mentioned that Janet was working for a private eye. Jack didn't see what was so amusing. He had legitimate concerns about this Magnum person, and he voiced them to Larry, which made matters worse.

"How did she sound, Jack?" Larry had asked.

"She sounded fine," he grudgingly admitted. "Happy, even."

"Isn't that all that matters?"

Jack was reluctant to agree. He had been happy once, but it hadn't lasted very long. He thought he had found his future with Vicky Bradford, but once a very basic and very important difference in their value systems was discovered, Jack realized he couldn't remain in a relationship with her. It had been an amicable but emotional break up. What he had counted on to get him through hadn't worked out the way he thought it would either. With Jack making his own plans for the future, Terri and Janet did the same. Jack thought Janet would be married, but at the last minute, for reasons Jack still didn't fully know, Janet had called off her wedding to Phillip Dawson. Thinking they would have each other as roommates to help them through their difficult times, Jack was handed another curve when Terri announced she had decided to move to Hawaii and that Janet would soon be joining her.

Throughout the years, roommates had come and gone. While Jack missed Chrissy and Cindy and even Terri very much, the one he missed the most, he realized, as the captain told the passengers they were free to roam the cabin, was Janet. There was just something about her that he could always count on. He could talk to her, and even though she would tease him mercilessly if he had done something to get himself into trouble which she thought he could have avoided, she always listened to his side of the story and wasn't quick to judge. He appreciated that more than he realized until now. She was easy to talk to, and he missed that. He missed having someone to come home to whom he could share his day with. Janet had moved on, and he suddenly realized that maybe he hadn't. Was he stuck in the past and did he wish Janet were stuck there with him? And if so, how fair was that to either of them?

* * *

"Isn't this exciting?" Terri asked Janet, as they waited atGate 76 for Jack to arrive.

Janet held a white and yellow plumeria and carnation lei that she had made especially for him. She knew the female Hawaiian greeter would also present him with a lei, but that didn't stop her from making sure she and Terri had their own special greeting waiting for their friend.

"Look at that shameless flirting he's doing," Terri said, pretending to be upset as she and Janet watched him eat up the dark-haired, dark-eyed petite Island beauty who placed a lei around his neck and gave him a quick hug, which he tried to lengthen only to hear her giggle and move on to the next passenger.

He straightened up when he spotted Janet and Terri eyeing him with mock disdain and raced to them, telling them it was their fault he had been distracted.

"Our fault!" they protested in unison.

"Now, now, ladies," he said, trying to cajole them with a winning smile. "I just thought you would be quicker to whisk me away, before that lovely young woman could, you know, lei me. I think you two are losing your touch."

Janet and Terri had to laugh as he opened his arms and affectionately embraced them.

"I know you already have one, but this lei was made especially for you by me," Janet told him, after they had separated.

"Now, I feel like I'm in Hawaii," he said, after Janet and Terri placed the colorful circle of fragrant flowers around his neck and kissed him on each cheek. "You two look wonderful."

"You don't look so bad yourself," Janet said, as the trio began walking towards the escalator which would take them to baggage claim.

"I knew I missed you guys," Jack said, looking from Terri to Janet while they watched the carousel for his suitcase to appear, "but I honestly didn't know how much until I saw both of you standing there waiting for me. This is going to be great."

"Yes, it is," Terri agreed, her smile bright and oh-so welcoming.

"We have so many things planned for you," Janet said, the excitement evident in her voice.

"I'm up for anything," Jack said, and then added a disheartening caveat. "As long as it doesn't involve that Magnum private eye person. Which it shouldn't because you only see him during the day, right?"

Janet and Terri exchanged overt worried glances. If Jack felt that way, how could they tell him that he had been invited to attend a surprise birthday party for Thomas that his friends were throwing for him at the King Kamehameha Club the following night?


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

On the way back to the condo, the trio stopped to get a combination pizza to go and then once Jack had been given a tour of their two-bedroom home, Terri showed him to the lanai that gave its occupants a spectacular view of Diamond Head overlooking the crystal blue of the ocean while Janet carried a tray containing a pitcher of iced tea and three glasses.

"This is great," Jack said, as he made himself comfortable at the glass-topped table. "With this warm weather, you must eat out here a lot."

"We try to," Janet said. "But our schedules don't always work. Especially Terri's."

"Still working long and crazy hours, even in paradise," Jack teased with an accompanying wink.

"Yes, but I get to enjoy my days off, too, which is nice."

"We both do," Janet agreed.

"Are you working seven days?" Jack asked, after taking a bite of his pizza.

Janet shook her head. "Sometimes I have to work at a flower stand on Saturday if the owner, Mr. Pineda, needs help, but usually, I only work Monday through Friday."

"For both jobs?" Jack queried, his tone skeptical.

"Yes, Jack," Janet answered with a laugh and a shake of her head.

"I'm just checking," he said, shifting in his chair. "I'd hate to think of you having to work all the time."

"Don't worry. I have plenty of free time."

"What about you?" Terri asked. "Are you still putting in a lot of hours at the Bistro?"

"Yes, but it's good, you know. I really like having my own restaurant to run. I'm learning so much."

And so the conversation went from there as they enjoyed each other's company once again. The hours flew until Janet finally said she had to call it a night because she had to work at a flower stand at the Waikiki Beach Hotel for a few hours the next day. Terri had Saturday off, so she and Jack continued to converse as they enjoyed the soft midnight breeze.

"You guys really seem happy," Jack said.

"And that seems to surprise you," Terri commented, her eyebrows raised.

"No." Jack quickened to correct the misconception. "I think it's great. I know you weren't all that happy when you left LA, and I know Janet was still getting over her break-up with Phillip, so I wasn't 100 percent sure what I would find when I got here. I'm glad things are going well. For both of you."

Terri smiled. "Thanks, Jack. We're so happy to have you here. We've missed you soooo much."

Jack tried to shrug off Terri's comment. "You're just saying that."

"I am not," she said, somewhat indignant that he would question her sincerity.

She rose from her chair.

"Let me show you what Janet and I have been working on."

With purposeful strides, Terri walked into the living room and retrieved a white piece of paper from the coffee table. She returned to the terrace and set the paper in front of Jack before taking her seat.

"Does that look like the work of two people who hardly missed you?"

Jack looked from the paper to Terri.

"Wow, Terri, I don't know what to say. I'm sorry I doubted you. This list proves you and Janet have found a way to spend as much time with me as you possibly can. I'm flattered."

"Well," she said, her tone softening, "you should be."

They shared a much-needed laugh before Jack saw the look of concern on his friend's lovely face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"If you look closely at that list, you'll notice there's one troubling spot."

Jack perused the list and saw the many question marks after the event listed for tomorrow night.

"Surprise birthday party?" he questioned, looking to Terri for the answer.

She nodded. "For Thomas Magnum, someone you don't seem to be too fond of, even though you haven't even met him."

Jack leaned back in his chair and held up the paper for further inspection.

"You and Janet want to go to this party?" he finally asked.

"The truth is we were invited before we knew you were coming, so we said we'd be there. We told TC, one of Thomas' best friends, that you were coming from the mainland to visit. He extended an invitation for you, too. I know it's probably the last place you want to be, but..."

"You really want to go, don't you?" Jack asked, surprised at how excited Terri looked when talking about this party.

"Yes," she admitted, a hint of pinkish color spotting her slightly tanned cheeks. "I think...I mean, we think it would be fun. Janet and I talked about it, and we decided we wouldn't have to stay long, but we could make an appearance, especially since we already bought Thomas a gift."

"What did you get him?" Jack asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Well," Terri said, her voice growing even more excited as she leaned in closer to Jack. "Janet mentioned that the tape recorder he's using is pretty old and beat up, so we decided to buy him a new one. We hope he'll like it, and we also think it'll help Janet when she has to transcribe his notes, so it's actually serving a dual purpose. Pretty neat, huh?"

"Yeah, that is."

Jack continuing to study Terri unnerved her somewhat.

"Jack, what is it?" she finally asked, wanting him to stop his scrutiny.

"You like this guy, don't you? I mean, really like him."

Terri couldn't stop the color from rising to her cheeks. "Yeah," she answered. "I do, Jack. I like him a lot."

"But what about Janet?" Jack blurted out.

"What about Janet?" Terri repeated.

"Well, I mean, does she have a problem with you liking this Magnum guy?"

"Not that I know of. Why would she?"

Jack suddenly found himself feeling awkward. Based on Terri's reaction, Janet didn't seem to have an attraction for the PI. Jack had to ask himself why he assumed she would have.

"I-I just thought maybe she didn't want you to get involved with her business relationship, that's all."

Terri eyed him and then a slow grin spread across her face.

"That's not the reason. We may not have seen each other in over a year, but you can't fool me, Jack. You thought there was something going on between Thomas and Janet, didn't you?"

"Well..." he said, trying to cover his discomfort at having been found out.

"Why would you think that?"

"Because why else would she have taken on a second job?"

"You thought she was assisting him in more ways than one, huh?"

"Terri!"

"C'mon, Jack. You don't have to pretend to be offended with me."

"Why is she working for that guy?"

"I think she explained that to you when you called. Janet just wants to have some extra spending money. Things are more expensive here. She thought it would be something different for her and challenging at the same time. She really enjoys working for him."

"And that works out well for your plans, right?"

Terri ran her forefinger along the rim of her glass. "So far, it's just a mild friendship, if it could even be called that. Thomas is very nice, but I can tell there's a lot more to him than what you see on the surface."

"Okay," Jack said, after seeing Terri's expression soften once more when she mentioned Magnum's name, "I have to admit, I'm intrigued."

Terri laughed. "You mean relieved, don't you, that Janet doesn't want him for herself."

"Now what do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," Terri said, deciding a conversation about Janet and Jack could wait for another time.

If they stayed up any longer, they'd be witnessing the beautiful sight of a Hawaiian sunrise. Which wouldn't be bad, but still, they both needed some sleep.

"I know you meant something, but I won't push you," Jack said, no longer able to stifle a yawn. "Let's get some shut eye so we'll both look our best for tomorrow night's festivities. I'd hate to meet the infamous Thomas Magnum with bags under my eyes because you kept me up all night talking about him!"


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Terri answered the phone and was relieved to hear Janet's voice.

"What happened? You were supposed to be home at noon and it's now three o'clock."

"I'm so mad, Terri, but kinda worried, too."

"What's going on?"

"Rafael was supposed to relieve me, but he never showed up. That's not like him. He's very reliable. I called his house, but no one answered. I'm not sure what's going on."

"Did you contact Mr. Pineda?"

"Yes, but his girlfriend said he had to go to the Big Island on business, so he's not reachable."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to stay here until five and then close up for the day. I'm so sorry that I haven't been able to spend any time with you and Jack. What have you guys been doing?"

"We slept in late, actually," Terri said, a bit sheepishly, "and then we hung out at the pool for a while. We were going to come by the hotel to see you, but we thought you would be home soon."

"I should be there no later than five-thirty."

"Okay. Jack and I will just hang around. When you get here, we'll have to get ready to go to the party."

"I've been thinking about that, especially since my day got messed up. We don't have to go, Terri. I'm sure there are many other things Jack would rather be doing. Thomas and his friends will understand. I'll give him the present when I see him next week."

"No," Terri rushed to assure her friend. "Jack is sort of looking forward to it. I'd really like to go, Janet. At least for a little while."

Janet smiled. Her friend was so transparent. She wished she could nudge Thomas into taking a closer look at Terri, but so far, he was pleasant but not overly attentive to her.

"If you're sure it's okay with Jack."

She looked at Jack who was sitting on the sofa leafing through a magazine and looking very relaxed.

"It is, Janet. Believe me, it is."

"Okay. I'll see you guys in a little bit. Please tell Jack I'm so sorry our first day did not turn out at all how I had planned."

"I will. Hey, Janet?"

"Yeah?"

"See if you can close up a little early, okay?"

* * *

Janet took Terri's advice and was home before five o'clock. Jack greeted her with a hearty hug and told her not to worry about having to work late.

"I never did hear from Rafael," she said, her thoughts on the young man and his whereabouts distracting her. "It's just not like him to be so irresponsible."

"We have a party to get to," Jack said, trying to get her mind off of work. "You better look cheerier than that or people will think you're attending a funeral."

Janet playfully swatted Jack's arm and then told her friends she was going to freshen up.

* * *

By six-thirty, the trio was ready to hit the road. Dressed in black pants and a white button-down shirt, Jack couldn't help but to notice how lovely Janet and Terri looked. Terri wore a white gauze sundress that stylishly displayed her tanned neck and shoulders. With white-heeled sandals and a purse to match, she was ready to dazzle the partygoers. Janet's purple-printed halter dress, which showed off her shapely tanned legs, also highlighted her dark hair and dark eyes to perfection.

"I know all eyes are going to be on me when I walk in with the two of you beautiful ladies on my arms."

Smiling, they each reached for an arm and let Jack guide them to the car and then into the King Kamehameha Club as soon as the valet had been given the keys.

Jack took the time to notice his surroundings. Huge palm trees almost covered the paved entrance to the private club, but he soon saw where most of the people were gathering.

"We're in a banquet room upstairs," Janet informed him.

"Shall we?" Jack said, curious now to meet Thomas more for Terri's sake than because he saw him as someone who might be taking advantage of Janet.

As the trio, feeling carefree, walked into the middle of the Saturday night crowd, they had no way of knowing that they were being spied on.

* * *

Theodore Calvin, known as TC to his friends, spotted the threesome and immediately crossed the room to welcome them. With his lovely wife Tina at his side, TC introduced Janet and Terri to her, and they, in turn, introduced Jack to the newly happily reunited couple. Rick joined them a few moments later and more introductions were made.

"When is Thomas due to arrive?" Janet asked.

TC checked his watch. "Any time now. Jonathan is bringing him, which should be interesting."

Rick and TC shared a knowing laugh.

"Do you think he suspects?" Terri asked.

"Probably," Rick said and shrugged, his blue eyes lingering on how wonderful Terri looked. "But I doubt he realizes how many people are here."

"Shall we mingle?" TC asked. "We can introduce you to a lot of people until Thomas arrives."

"Sure," Janet said.

During the next few minutes, they were introduced to some of Thomas' former Navy buddies, along with a few relatives who had come from the East Coast, and a number of former and current clients, and then one of the waiters, Keiko, announced that Thomas and Jonathan had just arrived.

A hush fell upon the gaily decorated room. Some people stood near the bar while others stood behind the round tables that had each been set up to seat ten people. The minute Thomas entered the room, with Jonathan Higgins close behind him, everyone yelled "Surprise!" Thomas, wearing khaki pants and a navy blue pullover sweater, laughed and shook his head. His hazel eyes immediately sought out TC and Rick, and he wagged his index finger at them to let them know he knew they had been behind this. Within moments, his family and friends surrounded him, wishing him Happy Birthday and wanting to get the party started.

"Shall we find a table?" Jack asked, figuring they would see Thomas after the crowd had thinned.

"Sure," Janet said. "How about next to the window?"

"Works for me."

It also worked for the man who had been following their every move since they had left the condo.

* * *

Once everyone had been seated, TC and Rick announced that the guests were being treated to an authentic Hawaiian buffet and that they could start eating any time. Soft music from a live band played in the background as Thomas made the rounds to make sure he said "hello" to everyone. When he reached Janet's table, he took a seat next to Terri, which caused her eyes to light up like a Christmas tree.

"Thank you so much for coming," he said, looking from Janet to Terri and then to Jack. "Don't tell me. This must be Jack Tripper. Hello, it's nice to meet you. I've heard a lot about you."

They shook hands as Jack informed Thomas he had heard a lot about him, too.

"So, were you surprised?" Terri asked. "Really surprised?"

"Yes, I was. I mean, I figured something was going on because we usually celebrate all of our birthdays in some form or another, but this," he said, taking a moment to look around the room at all the happy and familiar faces, "is far more than I had imagined. I guess turning forty is a big deal, although I'm trying not to think about it actually."

They shared a laugh, and then Thomas asked Jack what he thought of Hawaii so far.

"I love it," he said sincerely. "I haven't seen much yet, but I really like it. I can see why some people think of it as paradise."

"I understand you're a chef and that you own a restaurant in LA. Good for you."

"Thanks. The restaurant isn't completely mine, but I hope to have one of my own someday."

"Janet and Terri rave about what a wonderful cook you are, so I'm sure that will happen for you. If you weren't on vacation, I'd ask you to cook a meal while you're here so I could taste your delicious food."

"I love to cook, whether I'm on vacation or not, and it so happens that I have to attend a few conferences about cooking and restaurant management while I'm here, so it's not a total vacation for me."

"I have an idea," Terri said, her eyes lighting up once more. "Why don't you come to our place for dinner one night while Jack's here?"

"I don't want to make him cook while he's enjoying Hawaii."

"It's no problem," Jack said, meaning it but also seeing the opportunity this was affording Terri. "I'd like to experiment with some of the foods specific to the Islands. It'll be good practice for me."

"If you really wouldn't mind..."

"No, not at all."

"We'll figure out a night that's good for us and you," Janet said, "and I'll let you know when I see you at work."

"Okay. Great. I'm looking forward to it. I see TC is looking for me. I think it's time to cut the cake. I can only hope those pranksters don't have forty candles on the cake for me to blow out. See you later. Jack, very nice to meet you."

"Same here," Jack said, shaking his hand one more time, relieved he could say that and really mean it.

* * *

When the band began playing familiar tunes mixed in with some Hawaiian songs, couples took to the dance floor. Terri saw Thomas talking with a few friends and wished he would ask her to dance. But she knew it would never happen. Jack nudged Terri and asked her why she didn't go ask him to dance.

"I can't do that!" she said, looking and sounding horrified at the thought.

"Why not?"

"Because I just...I just...I just can't, that's why!"

Janet and Jack looked at each other and just shrugged.

* * *

"Why don't you ask Terri to dance?" TC asked Rick, as they sat at their table.

"Yes," Tina said. "Terri seems like a lovely woman."

"She is," Rick said, "but I see where her eyes are. She hasn't taken them off of Thomas all night. Just my luck."

TC chuckled. "Well, you know TM does have a way with the ladies."

"Yeah," Rick grumbled, after taking a swallow of his drink. "But why is it always my ladies who fall for him?"

* * *

Jack decided to try to another tactic.

"Hey, Terri. Maybe if you and I were to dance, Thomas would cut in. What do you think? Wanna give it a try?"

"Thanks, Jack, but I don't think so."

Then she looked at Jack and Janet and saw an opportunity for them.

"Why don't the two of you dance?" she asked.

"Us?" Janet said, pointing her finger at Jack and then at herself. "Why would we want to dance?"

"I don't know. The music is good, and you know you love to dance, Janet. Go on. I'll be fine."

"We don't want to leave you alone," Jack said, but he was not opposed to Terri's idea.

"Yeah," Janet readily agreed, not sure why Terri wanted her and Jack to dance so badly. "It would be rude."

"No, it wouldn't. Not if I don't mind, and I don't. So go on. You guys haven't had any alone time. Go enjoy yourselves on the dance floor."

"You're sure you don't mind?" Jack asked, already getting to his feet to pull Janet up from her chair.

"No, I don't mind. Now, go on."

"Okay," Janet said, shrugging. "But we won't be gone long."

As Jack and Janet blended in smoothly with the other couples on the dance floor, Janet couldn't help but think back to another time she and Jack had danced. She had made a fool of herself, thinking she could have a career as a dancer. Jack had come to her aid and instead of berating her for her silly thoughts, he had gently and kindly asked her to dance. Up until that time, she had never thought of them as dance partners, but something had happened that day, and she'd seen Jack in a different light. One she had to admit she liked. A lot.

Dancing with him now brought back some nice memories for her. She decided to share them with her partner.

"This is nice," she said, looking up into his clear blue eyes and smiling face.

"It is," he agreed. "I'm pleased I can say I'm having a great time. I'm glad we came."

"You're okay with Thomas now?" Janet asked.

"Yeah. I just wish he realized how much Terri likes him."

"I know. I feel so bad for her, but I don't want to interfere."

"It's probably best that you don't," he said, as he glided her across the room.

"Is this bringing back any memories for you?" Janet asked, realizing she was enjoying being in his arms more than she thought she would or had even imagined was possible.

"You mean that time we danced after that Michael guy had been such a jerk to you?"

"Yes," Janet said, letting herself relax fully in Jack's strong, capable arms.

"I always knew you were a wonderful dancer. You didn't have to prove anything to me."

"I'll never forget how kind you were to me that day, Jack. When I think of what you could have said to me..."

"Why would I have done that, Janet? You were hurting. I would never want to hurt you. Never."

"You never did, Jack. You were, and still are, the bestest friend I could ever ask for."

"We have a lot in common, Janet. We both thought our lives were going to take very different turns."

"Yes, I know," she said, not wanting to reflect on Phillip but acknowledging he would enter her thoughts anyway.

Jack stilled both of them for a moment to gaze into her chocolate eyes. She sensed he was about to ask her a very important question. She was right.

"Janet, have you ever wondered why it was that neither of us ended up with the person we thought we were going to spend the rest of our lives with?"

* * *

"Jack and Janet look very intense on the dance floor."

The sound of Magnum's rich timbre caught Terri off guard. She hadn't seen him coming but now that he was sitting next to her, she smiled.

"Yes, they do. I was just watching them."

"There's a lot of history there, I gather," he said.

"Very much so. They were roommates for eight years. I was their roommate for three."

"I wonder if Janet realizes how the tone of her voice and the expression on her face changes whenever she talks about Jack."

"You notice that, too, huh?"

Terri couldn't help but to grin.

"Is this a case of not seeing what's right in front of you?" Thomas asked Terri and flashed her a dimpled smile.

"Sometimes I think it is, but when Janet decided to move to Hawaii, I thought maybe I was the one seeing things that weren't there. But now that they've been reunited, I have to wonder."

"Maybe they'll figure it out," Thomas said with a wink.

"Maybe," Terri said, her voice wistful.

"Would you care to dance?" Thomas asked, holding out his hand for Terri to take.

"Yes," she said, trying to rein in her excitement and keep her pulse at a steady rhythm.

As Thomas led her to the dance floor and wrapped his arm around her back, all she could think of was that Jack and Janet weren't the only ones who needed to figure a few things out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"You don't look too happy," Thomas commented when Janet arrived at his place late Monday afternoon.

"Crazy day," she said, plopping down on his worn sofa. "We had such a good time at your party and we had another great day yesterday, and then today, wham."

Thomas perched himself in his usual place on the arm of the couch.

"What happened?"

Janet sat up straighter and clasped her hands together. "Some very strange things."

"Such as?"

"For instance, on Saturday, my replacement never shows up. I don't hear anything from anyone. I tried to call him, but there was no answer. I called my boss, but he was on the Big Island and wasn't available. So, last night, my boss leaves a message on our answering machine that he needs to meet with all of his employees this morning. He tells us that Rafael, the guy who was supposed to replace me on Saturday, is gone. Just like that. And now we're all expected to pick up the slack until he finds someone else."

"That's not that unusual, is it? If the guy's not reliable..."

"But that's just it. He was very reliable. Almost too reliable. He covered for everyone and seemed to be available every time Mr. Pineda needed someone at the last minute. He was a good worker, too. I think something happened but, of course, our boss isn't going to divulge those details."

Thomas' investigative ears perked up. "What do you mean you think something happened?"

"I don't know," Janet said, rising from the sofa. "But it's all a bit strange. I mean, even if Rafael had flaked out on Saturday, isn't there such a thing as a second chance any more?"

"Depends on the boss, I guess. How's this guy to work for?"

"He's been okay with me, but I haven't been there that long, and I've just been doing what he tells me to and I go where he tells me to go."

"You haven't had to cross him, you mean?"

"Right."

"Have you tried contacting Rafael since Saturday?"

"No. To be honest, I was afraid to. Mr. Pineda made it sound like he was gone from the island. The whole meeting just left me with this weird feeling I haven't been able to shake."

"I think you've been reading too many of my case files," Thomas said with a warm chuckle. "I don't have much going on. Why don't you go home, relax, maybe take a dip in the pool and enjoy Jack and Terri's company."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," he said, gently placing his large hands on her shoulders and guiding her to the staircase that would lead her out of his home. "Go home and enjoy the rest of the day."

Throughout the drive home, Janet kept a close eye on her rearview mirror and she could have sworn she was being followed. But if she were asked to give a description of the vehicle, she wouldn't have been able to, and she knew that would have been embarrassing.

Thinking Thomas was right and that she was letting her imagination run wild as a result of working for him, she entered her apartment determined to enjoy the remainder of the afternoon and evening.

But her newfound determination didn't last very long.

She had no sooner sifted through the day's mail when the phone rang. Picking it up on the second ring, she heard a bone-chilling message from a male voice she did not recognize.

"I know what happened to Rafael Kentara, and if you don't want the same thing to happen to you, stay far away from Thomas Magnum. Got that, little lady?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Got that, little lady! A dazed and fuming Janet had half a mind to push "star 69" and find out who had been so rude to her, but the other half of her mind, the logical half she had to admit, told her she needed to leave this alone. She replaced the receiver and sank down on the sofa, reaching for a pillow and clutching it to her chest. Who could have made such a threatening phone call? And why? Surely, this was someone's idea of a sick and cruel joke. Wasn't it?

* * *

Thomas had just hung up with an insurance company who wanted him to get a signature on a release form from a patient at the hospital when Rick entered the guest house and ambled down the staircase. 

"Hey, Thomas, where's Janet? I thought she'd be here. Wait, don't tell me. She found out you can't pay her, came to her senses, and quit."

Rick chuckled at his own joke.

"Ha, ha," Thomas said. "For your information, I am doing very well financially since my last case."

"Good. You can pay your tab in full the next time you're at the Club."

"I'll be glad to."

He put on a blue print Aloha shirt over his Army green tank top and left the buttons undone.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to the hospital."

"Hospital? Why?"

"Nothing important," he hedged. "I just have to visit someone. That's all."

"Oh, I see," Rick said, leaning against the mantel of the fireplace and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "You're going to see Terri, aren't you?"

"Terri? You mean, Janet's friend. No, I'm not going to see her."

"C'mon, TM, you don't have to lie to me. I know what's going on."

"Rick, what are you talking about?"

"I saw you two dancing at your party. You like her, don't you?"

"Yes, I danced with her, but that doesn't mean..."

Rick pushed himself away from the fireplace and pointed a finger at Magnum.

"You'd better treat her right, Thomas. Terri is a very special lady."

Thomas held up his hands. "Rick, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't hurt her. I can tell she likes you. A lot."

"Rick, you of all people know I'm not looking to get involved with anyone right now. My number one priority, besides keeping my business going, is trying to find my daughter Lily. I have no interest in romance whatsoever."

"You can say that, TM, but it doesn't mean love won't find you."

* * *

Jack used the key Janet and Terri had given him to enter the apartment. He found Janet curled up on the sofa, staring into space, still clutching the pillow to her chest. 

"Rough day?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the coffee table.

Janet sat up when she heard Jack's voice and tossed the pillow aside.

"Kinda. I guess. How was your conference?"

"It was fantastic. I think I'm really going to enjoy the next few days. I'm glad Angelino sent me."

"That's good," Janet said.

She tried to smile, but Jack saw the concern in her dark eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked again.

"Sure," she said, a little too brightly, rising and heading for the kitchen to get them something to drink. "Why wouldn't I be all right?"

* * *

Terri emerged from a patient's room and almost ran smack into Thomas. 

"Hello!" she said, after regaining her balance. "This is the last place I'd expect to run into you. I hope everything's okay."

"It is. I'm here to see a patient for an insurance company I occasionally do some work for."

"Oh. Well, don't let me keep you."

"It's fine. I'm not in any hurry."

"Did you and Janet talk about what night would be good for you to have dinner with us?"

"No, I forgot. Janet was at my place, but she was distracted by her flower shop job, so I told her to go on home and rest. I guess she forgot, too. Sorry about that."

"No problem."

But Thomas saw the flash of disappointment cross her face. Rick's words came back to him. He didn't know how Terri felt about him, but he did not want to lead her on.

"I'll talk to Janet," Terri said. "Is there any night that's not good for you?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay, then. We'll be in touch."

Reluctantly, Terri knew she had to say good-bye because she had to continue with her rounds, but when Janet's boss, Mr. Pineda, stepped off the elevator, her departure was delayed.

"That's Janet's boss," Terri said. "I wonder what he's doing here."

Thomas followed Terri's gaze and thought the medium-built man with black wavy hair looked vaguely familiar to him.

"Mr. Pineda," Terri called out, when she realized the man, who looked distraught, was lost.

He recognized Terri and quickly made his way to her.

"Terri, right?"

"Yes, that's right. And this is Thomas. Thomas Magnum."

Mr. Pineda's small dark eyes met Thomas', and recognition dawned. They both knew their paths had crossed somewhere along the way.

"You seem upset," Terri said. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm here to see someone, but I'm all turned around. Can you tell me where Room 612 is?"

"It's down this hallway, last room on your right. But, Mr. Pineda, I should tell you that the patient in that room isn't allowed any visitors."

"I know," he said, his voice sad. "But I have special clearance. The guard will let me in."

At the word "guard", Thomas' interest became keener.

"Okay. But we have strict rules for that patient. No more than ten minutes. That's it."

"I understand, Senorita," he said, and slightly bowed his head. "Mr. Magnum, would it be okay if I called you later? I need someone, and I don't think our meeting like this is a coincidence."

"Sure. Call me anytime."

He pulled a business card from his shirt pocket and handed it to the tired-looking, middle-aged man.

"I need to talk to you in more detail, but I feel I should give you a warning, too."

"A warning? About what?"

"Do you remember a man you helped the police arrest a couple of years ago, Ernesto Carlita?"

"The name sounds familiar. He was part of a gang, wasn't he, from the Big Island?"

"Si. They made their way to Oahu and were causing havoc here, too."

"Are they back? Has Ernesto been released from prison?"

Mr. Pineda shook his head, looking downcast. "Mr. Carlita was killed in prison, Mr. Magnum. And now the rest of the gang wants revenge for his death. They've started with my son, Rafael, but it won't be long until they find their way to you."

Thomas held up his hand. "Wait. Rafael? Are you talking about Rafael Kentara?"

"Yes."

"That's the name of the employee Janet said never showed up for work," Thomas said.

"That's right," Mr. Pineda said. "He didn't. He was attacked. He was found in a pool of blood in Duke's Alley, across from the International Marketplace."

"And he's your son?" Thomas questioned, wondering about the difference in their last names.

"Yes."

"But the patient in that room does not have that name," Terri said, still trying to absorb everything she had been hearing.

"The police have given him a different identity," Mr. Pineda explained, "but the young man lying in that bed, barely alive, is my son."

"How is he involved?" Magnum couldn't help but to ask.

"Before their leader got arrested, my son, who was living with my brother at the time, overheard something he shouldn't have. They threatened him, but they never got a chance to carry out their threat thanks to your hard work to help the police catch Ernesto. Once he was behind bars, the gang wasn't very strong, and they left my son alone. Now that Carlita has been killed, his brother wants revenge on everyone, and he's rounded up the gang. He's making them strong again. Stronger than they were with Ernesto from what I understand."

"How did they get Rafael?"

"They attacked him on his way to work on Saturday. He never saw it coming."

Terri's stomach muscles tightened. Saturday. Janet. She had been waiting for Rafael. What if they went after her? What if they went after everybody who knows Rafael or Mr. Pineda? Or Magnum? Terri looked at Thomas as she tried to calm her mounting fear.

"You see why we need to talk, Senor?" Mr. Pineda asked.

"Yes. You go see your son. I'll wait in the hospital lobby. We should talk in a neutral area that will still allow for privacy."

"Gracias. As the lovely nurse here says, I can't stay too long with my son, but I am on my way to see him."

Once he was out of hearing range, Terri pounced on Thomas.

"What does this mean? Is Janet in danger? Are we all in danger? You are definitely in danger if what Mr. Pineda said is true. Thomas, what are you going to do to keep yourself, and possibly the rest of us, safe?"

It was a question Magnum had been asked more times than he cared to admit, and to this day, it had never been an easy one for him to answer. What would his next move be? And would it be the right one for everyone involved?

Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder why he had ever decided to become a private investigator. As he gazed at the worried look on Terri's face and tried to think of some way to reassure her, he realized this was definitely one of those times.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

As soon as her shift ended, Terri raced home, frantic to tell Janet what she had learned at the hospital. But as she neared the condo, she forced herself to slow down and to think about what she would say. She wanted her friend to know the situation, but she didn't want to frighten her unnecessarily.

When she entered the apartment, she found Jack and Janet sitting on the couch, talking and drinking what looked to be lemonade.

"Hey, guys," she said casually, stepping further into the room.

"Hi, Ter," Jack said. "We're glad you're home. We've been talking about what we want to do tonight."

"We were thinking about having dinner somewhere and then seeing a live show in Waikiki. What do you think?"

"Sure. That sounds like fun. But first, I have to tell you something."

Terri pulled up a wicker chair and sat across from Jack and Janet.

"You look so serious," Jack said. "Is everything all right?"

"Not really," Terri admitted. "Janet, have you heard any more about your co-worker Rafael?"

"No. Not since our meeting this morning. Mr. Pineda made it sound like Rafael wasn't on Oahu any more. Why?"

"Because I know for a fact that Rafael is still here. He's in the hospital, Janet, fighting for his life."

"What happened?" Jack asked, leaning closer to Terri.

Janet reached for the pillow once more. She knew something bad had happened, especially after receiving that chilling and mysterious phone call.

As Terri explained what had happened with Thomas and Mr. Pineda, Janet's heart began to beat faster and she found herself clutching the pillow so hard her knuckles were turning white.

"That is so bizarre," Jack said. "Is Magnum going to help him?"

"I don't know. They were going to talk after Mr. Pineda saw his son."

Jack glanced at Janet and saw how frightened she was.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked. "You were like this when I arrived, only now you seem even more afraid."

Janet tried to talk, but no words came out. She knew she had to tell her friends about the phone call. She swallowed hard and tried once more to get the words out.

"I didn't want to say anything," she began. "But now I think I'd better."

"We think you'd better, too," Jack said.

"When I...when I arrived home earlier, I got this really strange phone call."

"From who?" Terri asked.

"I don't know," Janet said and gulped again. "But it was eerie. It was a man's voice, but I didn't recognize it. He said that he knew where Rafael was and that if I knew what was good for me, I would stay far away from Thomas. And then he hung up."

"See, I knew it!" Jack exclaimed, jumping up from the sofa. "I knew working for Magnum would get you into trouble. Now, do you see why I was concerned?"

"Wait a minute, Jack," Terri said, rising from her seat. "Don't you think it's weird that whatever is going on is tied to both Magnum and Pineda?"

"No, not really," Jack said, knowing he was being stubborn about seeing another side to the situation but not really caring. "Janet is getting threatening phone calls, and the person mentioned Thomas, not Pineda. That tells me all I need to know."

Janet was about to respond on her own behalf when the phone rang. Startled at the jangling noise, she jumped and then motioned for Jack or Terri to answer it. Terri reached the phone before Jack could. She was surprised to hear Thomas' voice coming through the line.

"Hi, Terri. I wonder if I could speak to Janet, please?"

"Sure. She's right here."

Terri handed the receiver to Janet and mouthed that it was Thomas.

"Hello," Janet said, her voice a bit unsteady.

"Hi, Janet. It's Thomas. Since I know you've been wondering about your co-worker Rafael, I thought I would update you. Did Terri tell you about us meeting at the hospital with Mr. Pineda?"

"Yes. She was just telling Jack and me about it. Thomas, I need to tell you about something that happened when I got home."

"What happened?"

"I got a very weird phone call. It was a man's voice, but I didn't recognize it. He told me that he knew where Rafael was and that if I didn't want the same thing to happen to me, I needed to stay far away from you. I have to tell you it really scared me."

"Did you call the police?"

"No. Should I? I wasn't really sure what to do. I wanted to believe the phone call was a prank, but I realize now, it wasn't."

"I'm working for your boss, Carlos Pineda. I helped to put this gang's leader in prison a few years ago. Apparently, he was killed, and now the gang is getting together again and they are out for revenge. Carlos knew about the killing. That's why he was on the Big Island, trying to get some information that he thought could help protect his son. But he was too late."

"How is Rafael involved?"

"Apparently, he overheard a conversation during those earlier years. According to what Carlos said, some of the gang members think he has a friend in prison that he talked to who set up Ernesto's killing."

"Ernesto was the leader?" Janet asked, her head spinning.

"Yes."

"Why would someone call me?"

"I guess whoever it was who called knows you're working for me and thinks you know something or that you have ties to Mr. Pineda and/or Rafael because you work at the flower stands he owns. That's the only thing I can think of."

"Should I call the police?" Janet asked, her legs becoming wobbly as the seriousness of the situation began to sink in.

"Let me talk to Carlos and tell him what happened to you. Right now, there's not much for the police to go on."

"Okay. I'll wait to hear from you."

"Janet, you have to answer me honestly."

"All right. About what?"

"Do you feel safe in your home?"

Janet's eyes darted from Jack to Terri and back to the wall she had been staring at throughout their conversation.

"I'm not sure," she admitted, almost whispering into the phone.

"Why?" Thomas pressed.

"I can't be certain," she quickly pointed out, "but I think when I left your place, someone was following me home."

She heard Thomas' frustrated sigh on the other end of the line.

"I need to talk to Pineda, but I have a question for you," he said.

"Okay."

"How would you feel about staying here, in the main house of the estate, until I can find out for certain what is going on?"

Janet looked at her two friends who seemed just as worried as she was.

"I-I don't know, Thomas. I'll have to think about it."

"You do that while I make a couple of phone calls. I'll be in touch. Okay?"

"Sure. Thanks. Talk to you soon."

"What did he say?" Jack demanded, as soon as Janet replaced the receiver.

"Well," she said, clearing her throat. "He said he's working for Mr. Pineda to try to figure out what the gang is up to."

"And what happens to you in the meantime?" Jack asked.

"He said he needs to talk to Mr. Pineda, but he...he asked me if I would consider moving into the main house of the estate until this situation has been resolved."

"No way," Jack said, vehemently shaking his head. "I won't let you, Janet. What is that man thinking? Moving you into the estate is like giving these guys an open invitation to get you. They obviously already know you're working for the man. Talk about leading you to the slaughter. I won't let you do it, Janet. I won't."

"So, what happens to her, Jack?" Terri asked. "How does Janet keep herself safe? At least there's security at Robin's Nest."

"I can keep her safe," Jack said, with more bravado than he felt. "I don't want you living on that estate, Janet. It's too dangerous. If you need a bodyguard, then I'm the one who will protect you. And, unlike Magnum, I won't let anything happen to you. I will keep you safe."


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Janet didn't know whether to laugh or to cry when she saw the look of concern on Jack's face. What had happened to her little slice of heaven? How had she ended up right in the middle of a gang's revenge for the death of a man she didn't even know? How much crazier was her life going to get? She didn't really want to know the answer to that question. She continued to stare at Jack while Terri tried to reason with him.

"Jack, it's great you want to protect Janet, but what if this situation isn't resolved before you have to leave? What then?"

"I'll worry about that if and when it happens."

"You can't think like that," Terri protested. "Janet's welfare is at stake here. If you say you're going to protect her, then you have to have a plan. A long-range plan."

"She's right, Jack," Janet finally spoke. "You can't give up the reason you came here. You have conferences to attend and cooking shows to do at the hotel. Robin's Nest does have an excellent security system. Jonathan Higgins, the man who runs the place, gave me a tour when I first started working there. He wanted me to know that if I did something wrong, I would set off the alarm system. Luckily, Zeus and Apollo, his trained dogs, like me."

"So, you want to go to the estate? Is that what you're saying?" Jack asked.

Janet moved closer to Jack and rubbed the palms of her hands along his forearms as if to soften her words. "What I'm saying is that I want to be safe. I'm scared, Jack. I'm really afraid."

He saw the tears she tried so hard not to shed welling up in her eyes.

"Aww, Janet, don't do that. Please don't cry. It's going to be all right."

"No one can guarantee me that, Jack. No one."

"You're right, of course," he said, drawing her into his arms and holding her close to his solid chest, "but you know I had to try."

"Hold me," she said, as a tear slipped unchecked down her cheek. "Let me pretend,for just a few precious minutes, that none of this has happened. Okay?"

Jack gently stroked the back of her hair and kissed the top of her head. "Take all the time you need."

Terri smiled as she tiptoed into the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. She hated what Janet was going through, but she thought of one possible bright spot. If Janet agreed to move to the estate, maybe all three of them would get to spend a few days at Robin's Nest.

* * *

And that's exactly what happened. Thomas explained to Janet that Mr. Pineda had given her a leave from her job with pay. He told her that security would be tight and that she would have someone with her at all times if she moved into the main house. Not wanting to leave Terri and Jack unprotected, Thomas invited them to stay, as well. By late that night, the trio had been shown to their private rooms and had become the official guests of Robin Masters' estate. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Some vacation this is turning out to be for you," Janet lamented to Jack, as they strolled through the lush green grounds of Robin Masters' estate.

Janet's bodyguard, a well-built, stocky man with blonde hair and probing green eyes, watched them discreetly from a safe distance while the dogs patrolled the area at Jonathan Higgins' command.

"It hasn't been that bad," Jack answered. "We've attended a luau, Thomas was able to get us an up close and personal tour of Pearl Harbor, and I can say I've been on Waikiki Beach. I'm doing fine. It's you I'm worried about."

"I wish I could be working or at least be more helpful in figuring out what's going on."

"Does Magnum talk about the case with you at all?"

"Not really. He says there's not much to report. According to what Mr. Pineda told him, there's not much action on the Big Island and now that Rafael is in protective custody, they don't know what the gang's next move might be."

Jack stopped walking and looked around at the impressive acreage.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say Robin Masters, the elusive novelist, arranged all this himself. I've leafed through a couple of his books since we've been here. This scenario sounds exactly like something he would write about."

"I wish this were fiction," Janet said and let out a heavy sigh. "Or a dream where I could wake up and know my life was still normal."

"Have you thought about what you are going to do once this nightmare is over?"

Janet shook her head. "I can't think about anything until this nightmare is over, Jack. How do I know how things are going to end? There may be nothing for me to plan for."

Jack placed the palms of his hands on either of Janet's slender shoulders and forced her to look at him.

"Don't ever say that. Don't even think that. Of course, there will be a future for you to plan for once this is over."

"You don't know that, Jack," she said, letting her utmost fear surface in the presence of her trusted friend.

Weary from trying to shrug off the feeling of impending doom and acting as though this was an every day occurrence, Janet let her guard down. She knew she had to release some of her worry before it totally consumed her and left her emotionally and mentally paralyzed.

"If you're really that afraid," Jack said, deciding to take the opportunity he had been given and voice an idea he had been toying with, "then why don't you leave Oahu and return to LA with me?"

"What if they follow us to LA?"

"Would it really be worth it to them? It seems to me they want Magnum and Pineda's son and maybe Pineda himself. If you were to remove yourself from any connection to them, wouldn't they leave you alone?"

Janet shrugged tiredly and Jack saw the effect this whole ordeal was having on her.

"Can we be sure?" was her reply.

No, Jack silently agreed and mentally kicked himself. At this point, none of them could be sure about anything.

* * *

Returning from work, Terri entered the main house and when she didn't find Janet or Jack, she headed for the guest house, thinking they might be with Thomas. She knocked on the door; Thomas let her in.

"Hi," she said and smiled as Thomas ushered her into the house.

She made her way down the stairs, mentioning that she hadn't seen Jack and Janet.

"They went for a walk on the grounds," Thomas said.

"I hope they're being guarded."

"They are. The dogs are on patrol, and Frank is watching them from a close distance."

"Good."

"You must have been in a hurry to find them," Thomas observed, noting the fact she was still wearing her nurse's uniform. "You haven't even changed your clothes."

Terri looked down at her crisp white uniform and nodded.

"I guess I'm more nervous about this whole situation than I care to admit. I don't know. The house seemed eerie when I entered it and didn't find Jack or Janet. I know I'm being silly, but..."

"I don't think you're being silly at all," Thomas assured her. "It's obvious how much you care about your friends. Why don't you make yourself comfortable while I get us something to drink?"

"Okay."

Terri sat on the sofa and couldn't help but to observe Thomas as he poured each of them a glass of soda. The shorts he wore revealed his tanned muscular legs. She had seen him running on the beach and swimming in the tidal pool so she knew just how strong those legs were. Not to mention the rest of him. When her thoughts began to go in a direction she knew she couldn't allow them to, she quickly averted her gaze. Looking down, she noticed a photograph on the coffee table of a smiling Thomas holding a young girl in his arms.

After he had made himself comfortable next to her and handed Terri her drink, she decided to ask him about the picture.

"I couldn't help but to notice that photo," she said, pointing to it. "You look very happy there. Is the little girl a friend or relative of yours?"

Thomas picked up the photo which always brought a smile to his lips.

"This is my daughter Lily."

Terri almost spilled her drink. His daughter? But how? When? And where was she?

"Is she here?" Terri finally asked, once she had regained some of her composure.

"No," he answered, his voice suddenly filled with sadness. "They're trying to make me believe she's dead, but I know she's alive. It's just a matter of time before I'm able to put the pieces together and bring her home where she belongs."

"Who's trying to make you believe she's dead?"

Thomas returned the picture to the table and looked at Terri long and hard as if studying her.

"It's way too complicated to talk about," he said.

He saw the way Terri lowered her eyes and realized he had been too abrupt with her. He quickly tried to remedy the situation.

"It's not that I don't want to talk about it," he hastened to add.

Terri rose from the sofa.

"No, it's okay. It's none of my business, actually. I realize we hardly know each other. I shouldn't have expected you to just spill the details of what is obviously a very private and serious subject. I'm sorry."

Thomas placed his glass on the table and rose to stand across from Terri.

"Hey," he said, tipping her chin with his index finger, "please don't apologize. I shouldn't have been so quick to dismiss your concern. It's just that...well, it's not something I talk about much. Other than TC and Rick, no one knows the whole story. Not even Higgins, although he knows some of it."

"I understand. Rick and TC are your best friends. You guys have been through everything together. I shouldn't have pried. It wasn't my place. Forget I said anything. Okay?"

"No," Thomas said, continuing to gaze at Terri's attractive and concerned face. "I won't forget it. I don't want to forget it. I see how you care for your friends, too. In that regard, I think we have a lot in common, and I think we have some of the best friends in the world."

"I know I do," Terri admitted freely.

"I do, too," Thomas said, his voice lower than it had been. "And I know you can't take that for granted. It's true I'm searching for my daughter, but I also have a responsibility to your friends. I want this to be over, so Janet can be safe again."

Terri nodded. "I know you're doing everything you can."

After an awkward few moments had passed, Terri headed for the staircase.

"I should go," she said. "Like you said, I didn't even change out of my work clothes."

With an unreadable expression on his face, Thomas watched Terri ascend the stairs. When she reached the top landing, he looked up and spoke to her.

"When it's not so crazy," he said, thinking she would be someone he could easily confide in, "maybe we can talk. If you still want to, that is."

She nodded and left him with a smile.

Oh, she would want to, she thought, as she headed back to the main house. She would definitely want to.

* * *

Jack and Janet sat on a bench near the tidal pool and watched the waves as they crashed against the shore.

"What do you think?" Jack finally asked. "Should we mention my idea to Magnum?"

"I guess we could," Janet said, not sounding very convincing.

"But from the tone of your voice, you don't want to," Jack guessed.

Janet rose from her seat and stared out at the vast blue ocean that looked so serene.

"What will there be for me in LA?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her. "I've started a new life here. Or, at least, I've tried to."

"You would have me," Jack said, throwing out the comment to see what Janet's reaction would be.

She turned and offered her best friend a small smile, which he gladly returned.

"That's so sweet," she said, touched by his words which offered him a glimmer of hope, "but I'd have to make it on my own, Jack. The way I've been trying to do here. There are just some things I know I need to do for myself."

"Of course, you would make it on your own," he agreed. "I know you're an independent, '80's kind of woman. I would never take that away from you."

"I was just starting to feel like that again, and then this happens."

"So, we get through this, and then you can start living the life you want again."

Janet gave him a doubtful look as he made his way to her.

"Only this time," he said, wanting nothing more than to reach out and hold her, "maybe you'll be starting that new life in California."

Janet continued to look at him but didn't answer as the words "with me" were left unspoken, for the moment, by the man who had come to realize just how much he wanted Janet to return with him to Los Angeles.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The next morning, Janet and Terri ate breakfast on the terrace without the men present, except for Frank, who kept his distance so as to give the women some privacy. Jack had gone to his conference, Thomas had an early-morning meeting, and Jonathan had to take care of a pressing matter regarding the estate.

"I'm glad we have some time alone," Janet confided.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Jack asked me to return to LA with him last night."

"He did?" Terri said, genuinely surprised. "What did he say?"

Janet looked thoughtful. "Well, he kinda threw the suggestion out there with not much leading up to it, but he said he's serious about me returning with him."

"What if this danger follows you out there?"

"I know," Janet said, setting down her coffee cup. "That's what I said. But what he said sorta makes sense, too. I mean, would they really follow us all the way to LA? For what? It's not like I know anything."

Terri frowned. "I don't think the problem is them following you to LA. I think the worry is would you make it as far as the Honolulu International Airport?"

"Gosh, Terri, I hadn't even thought about that."

"Are you considering returning to LA?"

Janet leaned back in her chair and let the morning sun warm her face.

"I don't know, Terri. I'm so confused. It was on impulse that I decided to join you here, but I have come to truly love this place. Until it all got so ugly. I honestly don't know what to do, and it makes me mad that I'm letting these guys, whoever they are, run my life."

"But you have to be careful, Janet."

"I know, I know. But I'm going stir crazy here, Terri. I need to be doing something. Anything. This waiting to see what happens next is driving me crazy."

"Can't you do more work for Thomas?"

"I've asked him, but he says I'm so efficient that he's now caught up. I heard Jonathan typing yesterday, and I asked him if I could type up his memoirs. But he said he types as he writes, so he doesn't have much in the way of notes. I don't know. Maybe I should go back to LA with Jack. At least, I'd have something else to focus on."

"But would you feel safe, Janet? That's the important thing."

"I don't know. That's the problem, Terri. I don't know anything anymore!"

Sitting across the table, Terri could feel Janet's frustration and wished there was something she could do to help her friend. But short of capturing the members of this gang, she didn't have a clue what she could do to make her friend's predicament any easier.

* * *

Rick found Thomas sitting at the outside bar, drinking a cup of strong black coffee. 

"Hey, Thomas," he said, moving to stand behind the counter.

"Why did I have to come here so early?" he complained, rubbing his temples.

He hid his eyes behind dark glasses and wore his Detroit Tigers cap on his head.

"Because I have some news for you, pal."

"What kind of news?" Thomas asked, willing the caffeine to kick in so he could concentrate on what his friend was saying.

"It turns out one of the waiters who worked your birthday bash knows the Pinedas."

"Yeah, so?"

"Guess who he saw here that night following Janet and her friends around?"

"Who?"

"Carlos Pineda's brother, Enrique."

"Why would his brother be following Janet around?"

Rick shrugged. "That's the $64,000 question, I guess. But didn't you say that when Rafael overheard something this gang said, he was living with his uncle? Could this be the same guy?"

The caffeine and adrenaline had most definitely kicked in.

"There's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

"What are you gonna do?"

Thomas stood, threw some change on the counter, and straightened his baseball cap.

"Pay a visit to TC. He owes me a helicopter ride to the Big Island, and I'm going to claim it right now."

"Speaking of paying," Rick said, but Thomas was already making a hasty retreat, "didn't you say something about paying your bill in full the next time you were here?"

"Gotta go, Rick. This is a pressing business matter. I'll catch up with you later."

"Thomas!" Rick yelled, but all he got was a wave as he watched Magnum run full speed towards his red Ferrari.

"One of these days," Rick muttered, as he collected the change and threw it into the cash register.

But he couldn't help but to be hopeful that maybe Magnum had gotten his first break in this case and that soon this ordeal would be over for Janet and the others.

"Go get 'em, TM," he whispered, as he wiped the counter and waited for the next customer to appear.

* * *

Terri didn't have to be at the hospital for another two hours, so she convinced Janet to sit out in the sun for just a little bit before it got too hot. 

"Maybe it'll relax you a little bit," she coaxed.

Janet doubted it, but she had been spending entirely too much time alone. She enjoyed Terri's company and decided to take her advice.

"Can I ask you a question, Janet?"

"Sure."

"Since you've been working for Thomas, have you gotten to know him very well? I mean, do you guys talk about things other than business?"

"Not too much. We'd been keeping things pretty light as far as our private lives were concerned. Why?"

Terri sat up a little straighter on the chaise lounge and removed her sunglasses.

"Did you know he has a daughter? A very young daughter?"

"No," Janet said, shaking her head. "I had no idea. How do you know this?"

"I was in his house last night. When I got home from work, you and Jack weren't around, and it didn't feel right to me. I thought maybe you were with Thomas. He invited me in, and I saw a really nice photograph of the two of them on his coffee table. Of course, I had to ask. He told me her name is Lily and that some people, but I don't know who, are trying to make him think she's dead. But he said he knows better and that he knows she's alive."

"Wow, that's amazing," Janet said. "I had no idea."

"I wanted him to tell me more, but he said he couldn't. It's like I find out another tidbit about him, and then I can't go any further. It's so frustrating."

Janet smiled at her friend. "You really like him, don't you?"

"Yes," Terri admitted, her voice wistful. "I do. But I'm afraid there's so much I don't know about him that if and when I find out his life story, I'm going to be too overwhelmed to deal with it. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah," Janet said, her voice sounding far away. "I know exactly what you're talking about."

"You're thinking about Phillip now, aren't you?"

"It was just all so strange, Terri. I thought we had so much in common, and then, out of the blue, he accuses me of being jealous because Jack is with Vicky! What kind of sense did that make? If he wanted to get out of marrying me, he should have just said so. I would have respected him a lot more if he had been honest with me instead of putting it on me that I didn't love him and that, deep down, I wanted Jack. Have you heard anything as crazy as that?"

"I have to be honest, Janet. I supported you then when you made your decision to break it off with Phillip, and I want you to know that I will always support you because you are my very best friend, but I can't help but wonder if maybe, on some level, Phillip was right."

"What?" Janet said, looking at Terri as if she'd lost her mind. "You agreed with Phillip?"

"Not totally," she hastened to add. "I think he had some issues of his own, and Jack became a convenient excuse for him, but I think, whether you or Jack realize it or not, there is something between you two. A certain connection the two of you share. And I think, given the right circumstances, there could end up being a lot more than friendship between the two of you."

* * *

"C'mon, TC. I need your help." 

Immediately upon arriving at Island Hoppers, Thomas began to plead his case for TC to take him to the Big Island.

"I told you I can't today, Thomas. I already have a scheduled flight to Maui."

"So after that, drop me off at the Big Island."

"Oh, just drop you off on Kona? Like I can do that in my spare time? Don't I have to hang around to make sure you get off the island safely?"

Thomas shrugged. "Well, that would be nice, but..."

TC shook his head. "What's so important you have to go to Kona, anyway?"

"Rick got some information about a possible lead regarding the case I've been working on involving Janet."

TC glared at Magnum and shook his head. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?"

He threw down the wrench he had been using to tighten a screw on his helicopter.

"Let me make a phone call. Give me ten minutes."

Thomas gave him a dimpled grin. "Take all the time you need, TC."

* * *

Following the directions he had been given by Carlos Pineda, Thomas arrived at Enrique's house. He discreetly inspected the premises and then decided to ring the doorbell. He had been given a description of what Enrique looked like and believed he was the one who stood before him, but wanting to be certain, Thomasasked the man with the jet black hair and big brown eyes if he was Enrique Pineda. 

"Who wants to know?" was the clipped retort.

Thomas held out his hand, but the man did not shake it. "My name is Thomas Magnum. If you are Enrique Pineda, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Like what?" he asked, his voice suspicious as his eyes darted back and forth.

He held the door closer to him as if ready to slam it in the taller's man face if need be.

"Like why are you stalking a very nice lady who's never done anything to you by the name of Janet Wood?"

The door was about to be slammed, but Thomas stopped its progress with his forearm.

"You know who I'm talking about, don't you?" he demanded, his voice rising an octave.

"What's it to you?" the younger man spat out.

"I know there's been some gang-related activity lately in Oahu involving your nephew. What do you know about that?"

"He got careless and now he's paying the price. That's not my problem."

Thomas' hazel eyes narrowed. "What do you mean he got careless?"

The man shrugged. "Careless. Stupid. He wasn't taking care of business."

"What kind of business?"

"If my brother sent you to talk to me, tell him he knows exactly what kind of business I'm talking about."

And then, before Thomas could stop him, he did slam the door in his face.

* * *

"Something isn't adding up, TC," Thomas lamented on the ride back to Oahu. "But I can't put my finger on it." 

"It sounds like some kind of family feud to me," TC offered.

"But why the gang involvement? And why did Enrique willingly give me some information? At least, I think he did."

"Maybe Rafael was involved with the gang at one time and was trying to get out."

"I don't think so."

"What's your next move?"

"I think I'm going to talk to Carol Baldwin, the Assistant District Attorney."

"Not Lieutenant Tanaka at the police department?"

"Not yet. I gotta sort this out, TC. Lives are at stake here, and I can't make any more mistakes."

* * *

"What do you say, Zeus? Apollo? Walk with me to the tidal pool?" Janet said to them, as they remained at her side inside the house. "It's too nice a day to be cooped up. Let's go for a run." 

The dogs sat up and barked at her words as if to tell her she had a brilliant idea. Janet thought she did, too. Frank would be watching her, the dogs would be with her, and she would be doing something other than thinking about her ordeal and wondering if she should, in fact, return to California with Jack.

After changing into a T-shirt, shorts and tennis shoes, Janet, with the trained dogs at her side, headed for the tidal pool that connected to the private beach. They were running in the direction of Diamond Head when suddenly she heard a noise in the nearby foilage and saw darts flying through the air heading straight for each dog.

"No!" she screamed, when she realized what was happening.

Frank appeared as if out of nowhere, but he was too late. The dogs had been tranquilized, and two bulky men with beards and menacing dark eyes held a gun on him and Janet.

"Come any closer and you'll regret it, I assure you."

A moment later, a woman with unruly reddish-brown hair and hazel eyes appeared and stood confidently between the two men.

"Where did you come from?" Janet asked, her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she tried to catch her breath while willing herself not to have a heart attack at the sheer terror of being held at gunpoint. "Who are you?"

She tried to display some bravado, but she knew she'd failed miserably. Where was Magnum? Higgins? Jack? Who were these people and how did they manage to get on private, secured property?

The woman answered Janet's question as calmly as if she'd asked about the weather. "My name is Melinda Hanson. I'm Carlos Pineda's girlfriend."

Janet eyed her suspiciously, but she knew she had to take her word that she was who she said she was since she had never met Mr. Pineda's girlfriend.

"What are you doing here?" Janet asked, her stomach muscles clenching and unclenching as the men never took their eyes or their guns off of either Janet or Frank.

Janet prayed that the silent alarm had gone off and that help was on the way, but Frank assumed, correctly, that their intruders had somehow found a way to bypass it.

"We're here to take something, or should I say someone, nice and quietly," one of the men beside Melinda informed them, his deadly tone enhanced by an annoyingly ominous laugh.

When the second man made a move towards Janet, she knew, without a doubt, her worst fear had just come true.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"What happened?" Magnum asked, breathless as he burst through the French double doors that led into the den, where everyone had gathered.

"I'll tell you what happened," Jack said, jabbing his index finger into Magnum's chest and getting in his face. "They got Janet and Frank. Great job protecting her. You should get PI of the year for this one."

"Magnum, where were you?" Higgins asked.

"I went to the Big Island on a tip that Rick got. I don't know," he said, raking his hands through his hair, "maybe it was ruse. I'm just not sure. Did anyone see anything?"

"No," Terri said. "None of us was here."

"Exactly the way they wanted it," Jack said in disgust.

"Has there been any communication? Any phone calls, notes, anything?"

Jonathan shook his head. "I'm sorry to say, Magnum, but we've had no word at all. Yet."

* * *

With their hands tied behind their backs and their mouths gagged, Janet and Frank were thrown, unceremoniously, into an old abandoned warehouse that looked to be near the piers.

Once they were safely inside, the two men removed their gags but did not untie their hands.

"Why are you doing this?" Janet demanded, trying to show some spunk so they wouldn't think she felt totally defeated.

"You'll be of some use to us," Melinda informed Janet.

"You'll never get away with this," Frank said. "I'm sure the police are combing every inch of this island right now."

"Good," Melinda said. "We'll make their search even more interesting when your friend receives our ransom call."

* * *

On Kona, Enrique Pineda met Tyrone, Ernesto's brother, in a discreet location.

"I did what you told me to do. I implicated my brother and my nephew in your sick little scheme."

"Good," he said, "that means you get to live for another day. They nabbed your brother's pretty little assistant. She'll talk soon enough."

"I told you she doesn't know anything."

"We'll see about that. But the main thing is it's only a matter of time before Magnum comes looking for her. And when he does, we'll be ready."

* * *

"Magnum, where are you going?" Higgins asked.

"To my place. I need to sort a few things out. Let me know if you hear anything."

Jack started to go after him, but Terri stopped him.

"Please, Jack, I know you're beyond livid, but verbal sparring is not going to help Janet."

Jack nodded and tried to rein in his anger.

"I know. You're right. I'm just so frustrated."

"I am, too. And I'm also scared beyond belief."

"That makes two of us, Terri, because I'm terrified."

"I know you probably won't agree with this, but I'd like to go talk to Thomas. I don't know how much help I can be, but I'd like to try. For Janet's sake."

"If you want to go to him, go."

She gave her friend a half smile and then excused herself from the room.

After she'd gone, Jack looked out the doors onto the dusk that was beginning to settle on Honolulu.

I wish I could go to Janet, he thought, and then offered up a silent prayer for her safety.

* * *

"At least they're not keeping us tied up," Janet said to Frank, as they both rubbed their sore wrists.

Melinda had ordered their hands untied a few minutes earlier.

"Yeah, makes me wonder why," Frank said.

"Don't question anything too much," Janet advised. "Let's just be thankful they're being this civil towards us."

"I guess you're right."

Janet slid down to sit on the concrete floor with her back against the wall. She stared at her windowless surroundings and berated herself.

"I should have listened to Jack," she said, speaking softly but out loud.

"That friend of yours from LA?" Frank asked.

Janet looked at him in surprise that he had heard her but then she nodded.

"What was his advice?"

"To go back with him to LA. We should have boarded the first plane. Why did I hesitate?"

"I'm not sure that would have been the wisest thing to do," Frank said, trying to offer her some comfort. "At least with you still being here, the people involved know what's going on. What if this trouble had followed you?"

"And what if it hadn't?" Janet countered. "What if I had been able to make a blissful escape? I don't know anything about anything, so why am I here? I don't get it. But if I had left with Jack, maybe things would have worked out. But now, we'll never know, will we?"

"I wouldn't say that," Frank said. "I really think we're going to come out of this just fine. I have to believe that, and so do you."

Janet nodded, but she knew if Frank felt even half as confident as he sounded, that was still way more confident than she felt. What if she never saw Jack again?

* * *

"Is it okay that I'm here?" Terri asked Thomas, when she found him sitting on his sofa with a pen in his hand and a pad of paper on his knee.

"It's fine. Do you have some news?"

"No. I just thought it might help if you had someone to bounce ideas off of. I'm a very good listener."

Magnum gave her a wan smile. "Thanks for the offer. I wish I had some ideas to share."

"Why don't you tell me what your thoughts are? You must have some idea of what you think happened."

"The only thing I think I know for sure is that Enrique Pineda is either involved with this gang or is indebted to them. Very indebted to them, and is doing their dirty work to buy himself some time. For what, I don't know."

"Who do you think kidnapped Janet and Frank?"

"Someone associated with either the gang or Enrique or both. I talked to Carlos. I still don't believe he's involved, but I wouldn't be surprised to find out he is."

Terri nodded. "That's been bugging me, too. This all seems to revolve around him."

"But what's the connection?" Thomas asked, almost to himself. "That's what I can't figure out."

"Do you think he's running some kind of shady operation, and these people think Janet knows something or, worse yet, is involved with him?"

"That thought crossed my mind, but I still don't get the gang connection. Why would they rough up his son?"

"Do you think it was a set up to make us believe someone was after him when maybe he was in on it the whole time?"

"But he accepted police protection. Why?"

"To continue his cover," Terri suggested.

Thomas looked at Terri and gave her a small smile. "Do you read a lot of mystery or detective novels?"

"Maybe one or two," she said and offered him a hopeful smile. "Is any of this making sense?"

"Possibly."

The harsh jangling of the phone startled both of them. Magnum quickly picked up the receiver and said "hello". Within seconds, he knew this was the call they had been waiting for.

"$100,000, Magnum. That's for starters."

"Where and when?"

"Pier 21. Midnight tomorrow. Come alone, Magnum. Or you won't find your lady friend and her so-called bodyguard alive. Got that?"

Clear as crystal, Thomas thought, and then in a moment of uncontrolled anger, he threw the phone against the wall.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

"I got the call," Thomas said, as he and Terri entered the main house.

"What did they say?" Higgins asked.

"They want $100,000 by midnight tomorrow."

"If you need me to call Robin Masters…" Jonathan began, but Thomas cut him off.

"Thanks, Higgins, but I'm going to see if Carlos Pineda can come through for us. I need to test him, and this may be one way."

"You're playing games with Janet's ransom money?" Jack declared, totally baffled at Magnum's audacity.

"No. But I need to know who is on our side," Thomas tried to explain.

"And what if Pineda's not on our side?" Jack demanded.

"Don't worry, Mr. Tripper," Jonathan assured a visibly shaken Jack. "Mr. Masters will provide the needed funds. Of that, I can assure you."

Jack glared at Magnum. "I'm glad someone around here can assure me of something."

* * *

"You," Melinda said, pointing a manicured finger at Janet. "I need to talk to you alone."

Hesitating, Janet looked at Frank and then quickly followed Melinda to another part of the vacant warehouse when she yelled her command.

"What do you want?" Janet asked, trying not to let her fear show.

"I want to know what you told Carlos when you looked at his books."

"His books?" Janet said, confused. "What books?"

"Don't play games with me, missy. You know what books I'm talking about."

"No, I don't. I swear."

"What job do you hold at Carlos' company?"

"I work the flower stands. All over Honolulu. Why?"

Melinda let out an aggravated sigh.

"Son of a…you'd better not be lying to me," she warned.

"I'm not," Janet said, trying to figure out how to convince her captor she was telling the truth. "I promise you I don't know anything about any books. I sell flowers. That's all I do."

"Get back over there and don't talk. You're giving me a headache."

Noiselessly, Janet returned to sit next to Frank. Neither spoke, but Janet's mind went into overdrive. Books. Looking at books. Did Melinda think she had access to the accounting books belonging to Pineda's business? But why would she think that? And if she did, what did she think Janet would have discovered if she had reviewed them?

* * *

"She knows nothing," Melinda ground out to her two henchmen. "She knows less than nothing. What a waste. If Enrique is behind this, he is going to pay. Enough is enough."

"You're in as deeply as he is," one of the men pointed out.

"Shut up, okay," she said, rubbing her temples. "I'm trying to stay one step ahead of Carlos' no-good brother. Give me some space. And be quiet. You're all giving me a migraine."

* * *

"Thank you for coming, Carlos," Thomas said, as he ushered the man into the den.

"Of course. I'm so sorry to hear about Janet. I don't understand who would kidnap her."

Jack had a hard time standing still. He wanted to interrogate the man, but he knew he had to let the others handle this delicate situation.

"We're trying to figure that out ourselves," Jonathan offered.

"We received a ransom call," Thomas said. "The person demanded $100,000 for starters. I need to have it by midnight tomorrow. Any way you can come up with the money?"

Pineda hesitated only a moment. "It will take me some time, but I think I can manage that amount. I'll be in touch."

Once he had left, Jack pounced on Magnum. "So, what's the next move? What do we do now?"

"Hope that Carlos is a good guy who will come through for us."

"And that's it? You gotta be kidding me!"

"No, I'm not, Jack," Thomas said, looking deadly serious as he answered him. "I need to run a few errands. I'll be back soon."

Higgins nodded. "Very well, Magnum. I'll take care of things here."

Jack shook his head at what he perceived to be a cavalier attitude on Magnum's part. Jonathan gave him a look that said they would talk. Later.

Terri followed Thomas.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked. "I'd like to come with you. If you'll let me."

Thomas gave her a small smile. "I admire your spirit and your willingness," he told her sincerely. "But I need to do this alone. You're much safer here. Keep an eye on Jack. He needs a friend right now, and I need to get out of his way before he totally explodes."

She nodded and assured Magnum she would stay at the estate. He gave her cheek a quick caress which set her spine to tingling and thentold her he would see her soon. He turned to leave, but a warm, gentle hand on his forearm stopped his progress.

"Be careful, Thomas. Please."

"I will be," he told her and then headed for the guest house.

* * *

"That man is a total incompetent," Jack shrieked at Jonathan, once they were alone. "How does he manage to stay in business?"

"No, he's not," Higgins said, offering up a decanter of brandy which Jack declined. "As much as I like to say he is, the truth is he's not incompetent at all."

"Well, you couldn't tell it by this case," Jack said, running a frustrated hand through his hair.

"Sit down, Mr. Tripper. Let's chat for a bit, shall we?"

"What's there to chat about?" Jack asked, as he sat in a winged back chair across from Higgins, and then apologized for his rudeness.

"It's quite all right. I understand you're upset."

"Of course I'm upset," he said. "Wouldn't you be if your best friend had been kidnapped and you had no idea why?"

Jonathan nodded after taking a swallow of his brandy. "Indeed I would be. I would be even more upset if the woman meant more to me than a friend."

Jack, who had clasped his hands together and had placed his arms on his jean-clad legs, stared at the older man with the proper British accent. "What are you talking about?"

"Janet, of course."

"Mr. Higgins…"

"Please, call me Jonathan."

"Okay. Jonathan. Janet and I are very good friends and have been for a long time. Actually, we're best friends, even though we no longer live in the same state."

Jonathan gave Jack a small grin and a knowing wink as he sloshed the amber liquid in the tumbler. "I've seen people who are worried about their best friends, and yes, they are usually quite upset. But you look ready to jump out of your skin. You can't sit or stand still. You look like a man who has just lost the love of his life, Mr. Tripper. And quite frankly, there's nothing you can say to convince me otherwise."

Jack stood at Jonathan's words. "Love of my life? No, that's not true, Mr. Hi…Jonathan. Yes, I care about Janet. A lot. I don't want any harm to come to her. But the love of my life? That's not the kind of relationship we have."

"Mr. Tripper…"

"If I'm going to call you Jonathan, then you should call me Jack."

"Okay, Jack. Let me just say that one does not have to be in a certain kind of a relationship to have deep feelings for someone. The feelings are there, whether one chooses to acknowledge them or not."

Jack paced the room while rubbing his hands together. "I just…I've had a bad feeling about this since Janet told me about the phone call. I told her I wanted her to return to LA with me. Seeing her again made me realize how much I've missed her, but I couldn't say I was honestly ready to begin a serious relationship with her. I just knew I wanted to keep her safe."

"Of course, you did," Jonathan said, now standing next to Jack. "That's what one always wants to do when one is in love."

* * *

"He's inside," Rick said to Thomas when he arrived at his friend's private office at the Club.

"Thanks," Thomas said and then entered the room.

"Look, man," the waiter who had given the tip to Rick said, as soon as Magnum entered the room, "I didn't make up that story. Enrique was following your friends around the night of your party. Why, I don't know, but he was."

"And what made you decide to come forward when you did?"

The young man shrugged. "She seemed like a nice lady that night. I felt bad when I heard she had been threatened."

Thomas' gaze narrowed. "Who told you Janet had been threatened?"

The waiter had the decency to look embarrassed. "I overheard you guys talking about it. At first, I didn't think anything about it, but then I remembered seeing that guy here. So, I decided to tell Rick."

"And how did you know the guy was Pineda's brother?"

"Hey, man, I know Rafael. He introduced me to his uncle a couple of times. I knew it was him."

"For your sake," Thomas said, "you'd better be telling me the truth."

After assuring him he wasn't lying, the waiter hastily left the office. Rick walked in moments later followed by TC.

"Anything?" Rick asked.

"Not really," Thomas said and sighed.

He straightened his baseball cap as he tried to fit the pieces of the puzzle together.

"Anything we can do, TM?" TC asked.

"Thanks, guys, but I don't think so. At least not now. I'm going for a drive. Maybe it will clear my head. I'll be in touch."

* * *

When Magnum's drive didn't produce any results, he returned to the estate but not the house. He wasn't ready to face the questioning eyes he knew he would rightfully encounter. Especially from Jack. Instead, he walked to where the kidnapping had taken place, wondering if he'd somehow missed a clue. Night had fallen, but the full moon provided enough light for him to look around. Halfway down the tidal pool, he found a bracelet lying in the sand as if waiting for him to finally find it. He picked it up and inspected it. The stones looked real, but he was no expert in that field.

Janet's? He couldn't be sure, but he didn't think he'd ever seen her wearing a bracelet, much less one with diamonds and rubies. Had an honest-to-goodness clue finally come his way?

Clutching the bracelet inside the palm of his large hand, he raced back to the main house, eager to ask Terri or Jack if they recognized the jewelry. He found them both with Higgins in the den.

"I found this on the sand near the tidal pool," he said without preamble. "Do any of you recognize it?"

"I don't," Jack said immediately.

Terri looked at it, whistled and shook her head. "I don't either, but I wouldn't mind owning something like that."

"What about you, Higgins? Can you think of anyone who's been here lately who might have lost this bracelet?"

Jonathan shook his head. "No. Unless you've been entertaining…"

"I haven't," Thomas said quickly, and then smiled apologetically at Terri when he noticed her looking at him curiously.

"Then I would have to say it doesn't belong to anyone we could identify," Jonathan concluded.

"So, does this mean the kidnapper is a woman?" Jack asked, incredulous.

"Possibly. Or a lady was present for some reason when the kidnapping took place."

"You need to take that to the police," Jonathan said.

"I know," Thomas said, continuing to hold the bracelet in his hands as if willing it to talk to him. To tell him the missing pieces he hadn't been able to yet identify.

The buzzer sounded; Jonathan asked who was at the security gate. When Carlos Pineda identified himself, Jonathan allowed him entry and then waited for him at the front door.

"I need to talk to Magnum," he said.

"Of course. Right in here, Mr. Pineda."

As soon as Carlos entered the room, his dark eyes were drawn to the bracelet Magnum was holding up for inspection.

"Where did you get that?" Carlos asked.

"I found it on the sand by the tidal pool," Thomas said.

"But that can't be," Carlos said, his legs growing weak as he thought about what this discovery could mean.

"Why not?" Jack asked, watching Carlos very carefully and noticing the change in his pallor.

"That bracelet. That belongs to my girlfriend. I gave it to her for her birthday. There's no way you found that piece of jewelry here. No way at all!"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

"Do you know where your girlfriend is?" Thomas asked Carlos.

"No," Carlos admitted. "I haven't seen her today."

"C'mon," Magnum said. "We're going to the police."

But before they could leave, the buzzer sounded from the front gate. Higgins answered it.

"It's Lt. Tanaka," he informed the group. "He'll be here in a moment."

"Good evening," he said, nodding towards the occupants of the den as entered with two of his men. "I have something I think all of you will be very interested in. Especially you, Mr. Pineda."

"What is it?" Thomas asked anxiously, as Jack hovered nearby wanting to know, too.

"Does this look familiar to anyone, maybe you, Mr. Pineda?"

He held up a sketch that had been done by the police department.

"What does it mean?" Carlos asked, a sickening feeling taking over the pit of his stomach.

"A witness came forward earlier tonight," Tanaka informed them. "Said he saw some unusual activity in a warehouse near the piers. Identified this woman. Would you care to confirm her identity, Mr. Pineda?"

Carlos knew he had no choice but to come forward. "That looks like my girlfriend Melinda," he admitted.

"What are we waiting for?" Jack said. "Let's get to the piers."

"Excuse me," Tanaka said, turning his attention to Jack. "But none of you," he continued, his focus now strictly on Thomas, "is going to the piers. Do you understand that? This is a police matter, and the police will handle it. Got that, Magnum?"

Thomas nodded and handed over the bracelet to one of Tanaka's men.

"I just found this by the tidal pool. Carlos pretty much admitted it belongs to his girlfriend."

"Wonderful," Tanaka said, and told his man to seal it as evidence. "Never hurts to have as much evidence as you can. Mr. Pineda, you're coming with me for questioning. I'll be in touch."

After the lieutenant left, Magnum excused himself.

"I'm glad the police are handling this now," Jack said. "They'll find Janet, right?"

"They seem to be on the right track," Higgins admitted. "I guess we'll wait to hear further word."

"Is this really like Thomas, though?" Terri had to ask. "I mean, I know the lieutenant told him to stay out of it, but is that what usually happens? Wouldn't he still want to be involved? Insist on going to the police station or something?"

"You're quite right, Ms. Alden. It's not like Magnum at all to give in so easily. Perhaps I should go check on him."

"If you wouldn't mind," Terri said, looking cautiously at Jack, "I'd like to go find him. Is that okay?"

"Just be careful, Terri," Jack said. "Be extremely careful."

"I will, Jack. I won't risk any harm. I promise."

She gave Jack a peck on his cheek, smiled at Jonathan, and then went in search of Thomas.

* * *

Janet willed herself not to go to sleep, but despite her anxiety, she felt her eyelids growing heavy. It was so dark in the warehouse and quiet. Almost too quiet. The next thing she knew she was dreaming of Jack. It was a wonderful dream. They were enjoying a fun-filled day on Waikiki Beach. They were talking and laughing and about to share an intimate moment when the sound of gunfire erupted right in the middle of her lovely dream.

She awoke with a start and tried not to scream. The dream had seemed so real. She stood up and listened for sounds, any sounds, but none was heard. She looked over at Frank who had finally given in to sleep, too, and then she settled herself closer to him. Knowing someone had to be watching them, she tried to focus on the first part of the dream when everything was still all right in her life so she wouldn't freak out about what was happening now.

Thinking about being with Jack on the beach brought back the memory of the conversation she'd had with Terri that morning. Had it really only been a few hours ago? She felt as though a lifetime had passed, and yet, she knew, in reality, not that many hours had gone by and that there was an excellent chance they would be rescued soon. Janet clung to that hope as she replayed the morning conversation in her mind.

She remembered she had wanted to make one thing perfectly clear to Terri. She had not been jealous of Vicky and Jack. When she and Jack had talked after Phillip had proposed, she realized that life as she had known it was about to change, drastically, so maybe she felt a little melancholy for the things that would no longer be, but she was also excited as she planned for her new life with Phillip. That is, until he began acting stranger and stranger, and she couldn't figure out why until he accused her of having feelings for Jack.

His cruel words had stung and hurt her. She felt as though the man she had planned to spend the rest of her life with didn't even know her. And that she didn't know him. When she suggested they spend some time apart to reexamine their future, he took that as a sign that he had been right and that she didn't want to commit herself to him.

Turning to Jack during that time had been the last thing she'd wanted to do, but he knew her so well that it was only a matter of time before he learned the truth from her. Yes, she leaned on him, but there was never anything more between them. She respected his relationship with Vicky.

Until she saw how much his break-up with Vicky had hurt him. They had been there for each other, both nursing their wounds, and that was when she realized that maybe something could develop between them, but she didn't want that. It would be a rebound relationship, and she felt she would never know for sure if what they had felt for each other was true love or if one or both of them would just be buying time until someone better came along. She couldn't risk that. She wouldn't risk that. Jack meant too much to her. She never wanted to lose his friendship.

And that's why, when Terri had invited her to join her in Hawaii, Janet jumped at the chance. She saw it as a chance to start over with a clean slate. Leaving Jack behind in LA had been one of the most difficult things she'd ever had to do, but she knew they would both be better off in the long run.

She believed that, too, until he showed up in Hawaii this week. As much as she tried to deny it, something stirred inside her when she saw him at the airport and when she spent time with him. She wanted to believe he was feeling it, too, but she couldn't be sure. Until he offered to take her back to LA with him. Oh, how she'd wanted to explore his motives for that idea in more detail, but she was too afraid to find out why he had mentioned it. The fact they were in the middle of a crisis didn't help matters either. But now, she knew if he offered again, she would go back to LA with him. She only hoped she got the chance to tell him that.

* * *

Terri found Thomas holding a flashlight and hunting through the shrubbery and the sand near the tidal pool.

"Looking for more clues?" she asked.

He jumped at the sound of her voice and then straightened to his full 6'4" height.

"Yes."

"Any luck?"

"No."

"Why do I think you're using this as a way to keep your mind off of what is going on at police headquarters?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you want to be there, Thomas? Don't you want to know what Carlos may be telling the police?"

"Tanaka will tell me," he said, sitting down on the concrete ledge that surrounded the water.

Terri sat next to him.

"And what about the piers?" she pressed.

Thomas looked at her. "What about them?"

"Don't you want to go stake out the place? Find out for yourself what may be going on there?"

"Why are you so anxious to have me go against police orders?"

"Because I can't believe you're now going to sit back and do nothing."

"What would you like me to do?" he asked.

"Aren't there still missing pieces? Things the police don't know about. Things you could and should be following up on?"

Thomas shrugged. "Depends on what they find out from Carlos."

"That's another thing," Terri said. "Now that the police are questioning him, how does he get the ransom money you need?"

"With the police closing in on whoever did this, I don't think the ransom money will be needed."

"So, you think Janet and Frank are going to be rescued."

Thomas nodded and looked out towards the sloshing dark water. "Yes, I do."

"So you've washed your hands of this case?"

"I wouldn't say that. I'll be of whatever help I can be, but you have to admit, Terri, this hasn't been my best case."

"That's what I'm talking about. I realize I don't know you very well, but I can't imagine that you just give up like this every time the police get involved. They probably get involved in most of your cases, don't they? Or vice versa?"

"Sometimes," he admitted. "It depends on what's going on."

"Why are you so willingly throwing this one away, especially when it involves someone you know, and I thought, you liked."

"I do like Janet," Thomas said, rising from the ledge. "I like her a lot. I think she's a wonderful lady."

"Then help her, Thomas. This case isn't over yet."

She rose from the concrete to face him.

Thomas shrugged his shoulders. "What do you want me to do? I have no other leads."

"Are you sure about that?"

"What do you mean?"

"Based on what the police said, you know there is at least one witness who saw something at the piers. I can't believe you don't want to talk to this person. I can't believe you're not combing the warehouses in that area instead of looking for something you know you're not going to find here."

Terri's words hit too close to home for Magnum. He had been willing to let the police handle everything. He was almost relieved when Tanaka ordered him to stay away from the warehouses in front of everyone. Was he losing his nerve? If he was no longer willing to take a risk, then he knew he had to get out of the PI business. Janet was still being held captive, and he wasn't doing anything to try to help her.

"Talk to me, Thomas," Terri said, placing her hand on his left shoulder. "What is really going on?"

Thomas turned and looked at her. "I can't believe you know me this well. Maybe it has something to do with that nurse's uniform you wear. Nurses are supposed to be able to read the human condition and respond to their needs, right?"

"In some ways, that's very true," she admitted.

He sat back down on the concrete slab and looked down at his hands. "Michelle, my late wife, was a nurse."

Terri sat down next to him and kept her hand on his shoulder.

"Late wife?"

He nodded. "I do believe she is dead, but I don't believe they killed my daughter, too. Everything in me tells me she got away. But where she is, I have no idea. I've really been trying to concentrate on Janet, but my focus is split. Every time my phone rings, I think it's going to be someone with news about Lily. I haven't been able to give 100, and I know that's wrong. Jack is right. I should have left this case alone and let someone else handle it."

"Jack is out of his mind with worry about Janet. He cares about her so much, but that doesn't mean he's right about you."

Nervously, Thomas stood again. Terri followed.

"Normally, I can put the pieces together, but my mind is so frazzled that I'm sure there's a hint of what the answer is right in front of me, only I can't see it because I'm not focusing."

"It's okay, Thomas," Terri said, trying to be supportive, "you don't have to do this all by yourself. We can all help, but not unless you're in the game."

"There has been something that keeps coming back to me. Maybe I will go check it out."

Terri smiled. "Can I come, too?"

He placed his hands on her upper arms and gave hera tender but serious look. "I'd prefer it if you stayed here."

"I know," she said. "But I had to try."

"You're very good for me," he told her sincerely. "Let's get you back to the house safely, and then I'm on my way to check something out."

They walked in companionable silence back to the main house. Once Terri had entered the den, Thomas thanked her for the pep talk and told her he would be back soon.

"Thomas," Terri said, before he had left her side.

"Yes?"

"I said I wanted you back in the game, but I want one thing understood."

"What's that?" he said, the corners of his mouth starting to turn upward into a smile.

"I don't want you playing hurt. Got that?"

"Yes, ma'am," he said, giving her a mock salute. "Don't worry. I never go against a nurse's wishes. I know how much you nurses can hurt a guy."

Terri tried to laugh off his comment, but she wondered just how much Thomas had been hurt and if, at some point, he might allow her to help take that hurt away.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

"Oh, no, not you again," Tony, the waiter at the Club, said dejectedly when Rick escorted him into his private office.

Perched on the edge of the desk, Thomas waited for him to enter.

"Yes, it's me. I thought of a few more questions I'd like to ask."

"Such as?" Tony said, taking a seat in a guest chair.

"For starters, when we talked earlier, you mentioned that you came forward because you heard Rick and me talking about Janet being threatened and you said you liked her."

"Yeah, so?"

"Well, here's the funny thing. I don't remember talking to Rick about this on Club premises."

Tony looked from Thomas to Rick and back to Thomas while laughing nervously.

"Sure, you did. How else would I have known? You must have forgotten with everything that's going on."

"No," Thomas said, shaking his head. "I think I would have remembered that particular conversation, but just in case I am losing it, let's ask Rick, shall we?"

Rick jumped right in. "You know, Thomas, you're right. We didn't have a conversation here about Janet where Tony could have overheard."

"I find that so interesting," Thomas said. "So, who told you about Janet being threatened, Tony, and this time, I want the truth."

The young man squirmed in his chair. He thought about bolting, but he knew Thomas and Rick would grab him before he even made it out of the chair. Damn, why had he messed up his story when all he'd really wanted to do was try to help his friend Rafael.

"I'm waiting," Thomas said, growing agitated.

"Okay, okay. Rafael told me his uncle was going to threaten Janet. He wanted to tell his father, but he was afraid to."

"Why was Enrique going to threaten Janet?"

"Apparently, he found out that his brother planned to promote Janet. He thought she was doing an excellent job and considered her one of his best, if not the best, workers he had. He found out from her that she had taken care of some accounting ledgers when she worked for a flower shop in LA. Apparently, he had decided to ask her if she would be interested in taking on that role for his company."

"So, what was Enrique doing with the books that he didn't want Janet and Carlos to find out about?"

Tony shuffled his feet and looked down at the carpeted floor. "Rafael said his uncle was stealing from the company. He was afraid Janet would find the discrepancy if she inspected the books. He only wanted to frighten her, Mr. Magnum, so she wouldn't take the job when Rafael's dad offered it to her. He wasn't going to hurt her."

"So you say. And was Rafael helping him?" Thomas pressed.

Tony barely nodded. "Sort of. But it wasn't like that, Mr. Magnum," he added, looking at the private investigator with fear in his eyes. "He felt indebted to his uncle. He didn't want to steal from his father, but he was caught in the middle."

"And the gang beat him up because his uncle was late with a payment?" Thomas guessed.

"The gang thought Rafael had sold his uncle out. They thought he'd gone to his father and told him what his uncle was doing. But he hadn't. He wouldn't."

"But then when he was attacked, he decided to make them think they were right by accepting police custody."

"He's scared, Mr. Magnum. He didn't know what to do."

"And the gang thought they were losing their money-making machine."

Tony nodded.

"How is Carlos' girlfriend involved?"

Tony's almost black eyes darted from Thomas to Rick and back to Thomas. "Am I going to get any kind of protection for being a snitch?"

Thomas looked at Rick. "Call Tanaka. Tell him there's someone here he'll be very interested in talking to. You'll be taken care of," Thomas said, "if everything you're saying checks out. Now, tell me about Melinda."

"Well, when one of the gang members, I swear I don't know who, found out about Rafael selling out his uncle, he went to Melinda and put pressure on her. She was supposed to make sure Janet was temporarily detained and so scared she would never go near Mr. Pineda's business again. And then, Mr. Magnum, they were setting a trap for you."

"One of Tanaka's men is on his way," Rick informed them.

"Great. Keep Tony here until he arrives. If you run, Tony, you're on your own. Got that?"

"Yes, sir."

"One more thing. Where's this gang's hideout?"

Tony's eyes grew wide with fear. "I don't know, Mr. Magnum…"

"Tell me where they hide out, Tony. I'm not playing games."

"But you can't go there. It's too dangerous."

"For the last time, tell me where they are!"

"One of the abandoned warehouses near the piers. I don't know which one. I don't!"

"That's okay," Thomas said, checking to make sure he had his gun secured on his person. "I'll figure it out when I get there."

"Thomas," Rick said.

"I know, I know. I'll be careful."

* * *

"You can't sleep either, huh?" Terri asked Jack, as she entered the den and found him sitting in a chair, his fingers steepled together underneath his chin. 

"No. This is crazy, Terri. This is all so damn crazy."

"I know."

She knelt next to Jack and placed a comforting hand on his knee. "But we have to believe that the police will find that warehouse and find Janet and Frank alive inside of it."

"They have to," Jack said, leaning forward in the chair. "I don't know what I'll do if…I can't say it. I can't even think it."

"Janet is going to be all right. You have to believe that, Jack, and so do I."

Jack looked at Terri's concerned face. "If…when," he quickly corrected himself, "she does make it out of this, do you think she'll return to Los Angeles with me?"

"After this ordeal, I say she'll be the first one in line for the next flight to LA."

"I want her to return with me, Terri. I really do. And not just because of this situation, although this has made my decision a whole lot easier, believe me."

"She knows how you feel, Jack. She knows you want her to return to LA with you. But once she's rescued, you have to give her some space, okay? She's not going to get over this so quickly."

"I'll give her all the time and space she needs," Jack promised. "As long as she comes out of this alive and agrees to let me help her."

* * *

Thomas walked around the warehouses, looking for any sign of activity. He had expected to see a few police cars as they hunted for Janet and Frank, but so far, he hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary. Hunched down against one of the buildings, gun poised in his hands, his hazel eyes darted to and fro, trying to ascertain what, if anything, was going on. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shadow and made a discreet move in that direction.

Thinking it was one of the gang members, he approached cautiously. He saw a door move and headed for it. When his full frame filled the open doorway, a woman let out a startled gasp. The gun was pointed right at her. In a flash, Thomas recognized her as Melinda and knew he had stumbled upon the warehouse where they were holding Janet and Frank. He started to yell for Melinda to give herself up when a shot was fired from behind him. Magnum hit the concrete hard and didn't move.

In the chaos that ensued, Melinda screamed when she saw Thomas lying in a pool of blood and ran from the warehouse. Frank saw it as their chance to escape. He grabbed Janet's hand and they made a run for it, albeit on very shaky legs. They had just made it outside when they ran directly into Tanaka.

"Get in the car!" he yelled at them.

"What about Thomas?" Janet couldn't help but to ask.

The sight of him bleeding as he hit the floor was something she knew she would never forget.

"We've called for help," Tanaka said. "Get in the car."

Moments later, Tanaka's men captured Melinda and her two henchmen and threw them into another squad car.

The police car with Janet and Frank inside was about to drive off when Jack, Terri and Jonathan arrived, having driven at breakneck speed when they'd heard the news.

"We heard there's been a shooting," Jonathan said.

"And a rescue," Jack added, antsy for news about Janet.

"One of the kidnappers shot Magnum," Tanaka said. "But the hostages are safe. They're in that squad car if you want to see them. They need to go to the station and maybe the hospital before I can release them."

Jack and Terri had already taken off before the lieutenant had finished his sentence.

"Janet!" Jack yelled, as he raced toward one of the police cars with Terri following close behind. "Janet!"

"That's Jack," Janet said, reaching for the door handle to let herself out. "I have to see him."

Before anyone could stop her, she was out of the car and literally falling into Jack's strong arms.

Terri saw for herself that Janet was physically okay. She caught her friend's eye, gave her a small smile, and left the two of them to talk. She went in search of Magnum.

"Janet," Jack said, breathing a big sigh of relief even as he was unable to believe he was actually holding her in his arms. "Thank God you're all right. You are all right, aren't you?"

"I'm terrified," she said, burying her head into his solid chest. "Never let me go, Jack. Please. Never let me go."

"I won't," he promised, as he held her closer and tried to calm her shaking body by rubbing her back. He placed his chin on top of her head as he continued to try to still her trembling body. "I swear I'll never leave you."

"I need to go to the police station," she said, when a moment of clarity occurred. "Come with me, Jack. Please come with me."

He pulled her back for only a second to stare at her haggard but still beautiful face. "Try and stop me," he said, and then drew her back into the circle of his arms and held her against him until the police officer told them they had to get into the car.

* * *

After making sure Janet was all right, Terri raced towards Thomas and reached him in record time. 

"Thomas!" she pleaded, kneeling next to him and clasping his semi-cold hand in hers. "Thomas, can you hear me?"

"Terri?" he said, barely able to speak.

"Yes. Thomas, I told you I didn't want you playing hurt."

She tried to smile for him, but she couldn't stop the tears from running down her cheeks. He looked so pale. She knew he was losing a lot of blood.

"Well," he said, struggling but needing to speak, "now you have to take care of me. But don't hurt me, okay?"

"I won't," she said, holding his hand against her warm cheek. "I promise you I won't."

"Janet?" he said, trying to concentrate on what he wanted to say as his voice started to fade. "How is Janet?"

"She's okay," Terri said. "She and Frank are with the police. They made it out alive, Thomas. They're going to be all right."

"Thank God," Thomas said.

"You need to save your strength," she instructed, when she saw the EMTs starting to work on him.

"I need…I need to tell you one more thing," he said, clearly fighting for every breath, every word.

"What?"

"In the drawer…in my room…my nightstand…"

"Yes, Thomas?" she said, trying to stay out of the medics' way but wanting to know what he had to tell her.

"There are…there are a few journ…journals…"

"Okay," she said, wanting to let him know she was hearing him.

"They're for…they're for Lily. If I…if I…if I don't…don't make it, please…Terri…please…give them to my…my daughter…for me…okay?"

The tears continued to spill down Terri's cheeks. "Okay, Thomas. I will. But you're going to be all right. You are."

"One…more…thing?"

"What, sweetie?"

She couldn't help but to use an endearment for him.

"Tell Lily…her father…loved her…very much."

"Oh, Thomas, I will. But you'll be able to tell her yourself because you're going to get better. You are."

"Promise me…you'll…tell her?" he asked.

"I promise," she said, clutching his hand as she caressed it against her cheek.

"Thank…you," he said.

And then he let the peacefulness envelope him as he slipped quietly into an unconscious state.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Since Janet said she didn't want to go to the hospital to be checked out and there was no evidence of physical harm, Lt. Tanaka released her into Jack and Jonathan's care after she gave him her statement.

"You'll remain at the estate," Jonathan said, his tone signaling that he would not take "no" for an answer.

Janet and Jack nodded mutely.

Frank approached them as they were about to leave the station.

"Miss Wood?" he said.

"After all we've been through, please, call me Janet," she said, with a tentative smile.

"Of course. Well, I just wanted to say I'm sorry I wasn't able to protect you and keep you safe."

"It wasn't your fault," she assured him. "I don't blame you. They ambushed us. What could you have done?"

He nodded in resignation. "I still feel terrible that I didn't do the job I was assigned to do, but I'm glad you're okay."

"I'm glad we're both okay," she said.

"You did your best," Jack acknowledged, shaking the man's hand.

Frank nodded and then left with Lt. Tanaka, who was ready to take his statement.

Once they arrived at the estate, Jonathan brewed a pot of tea.

"If you'll excuse me," he said, after making sure they had what they needed, "I'm going to call the hospital to check on Magnum's condition."

"I hope you hear some good news," Janet said.

After Jonathan left, Janet reached for the saucer and tea cup, but her hand was shaking so badly, the saucer slipped from her fingers and fell to the floor, followed by the tea cup, which spilled liquid onto the carpet.

She sprang up from the chair when she realized what had happened and covered her hands with her mouth. She looked down in horror at the mess she had made.

"I'm sorry," she said, on the verge of tears. "How clumsy of me."

"Janet, it's okay," Jack said, having already picked up the pieces of the fine China and about to place a napkin on the carpet to absorb the tea.

"But I broke the cup and the saucer and made a mess on this lovely rug," she said, unable to control her emotions.

"Janet," Jack repeated softly and patiently, standing next to her and forcing her to look at him so he could reassure her, "it's all right. Breaking a cup and saucer is not the end of the world."

She nodded, but he could tell he hadn't managed to convince her. Seeing her looking like a lost child who didn't know if she would ever find her way home made his heart ache.

"Maybe you should have gone to the hospital," he said. "A doctor could have given you something for your nerves."

"No," she said, moving away from Jack and walking to stand near the oak desk Higgins used for his work. "I can do this, Jack. I can work my way through this. I just need some time. That's all. Not a bunch of pills that are going to make me think I'm losing my mind."

"Okay," he said, coming up behind her and gently massaging her rigid shoulders.

He breathed an inward sigh of relief when she didn't pull away.

His fingers worked their magic as she felt herself starting to relax under his expert touch. In the blessed silence that engulfed them, she heard the ticking of the clockon the mantel above the fireplace. Time. That was what she needed. Time and Jack's understanding and help were all she needed. Except for one thing. Whenever she closed her eyes, she heard the loud gunshots ringing in the air and saw Thomas lying facedown on the ground, not moving. She would be fine, she told herself, as long as she never had to sleep again.

* * *

Terri waited anxiously outside the Emergency Room for news about Thomas' condition.

"How is he?" Rick asked, surprising the overwrought nurse with his sudden appearance.

"I don't know," she said, looking helplessly frantic.

She worked at the hospital, but she couldn't find out anything, and it was driving her mad.

"What happened to TM?" TC asked.

"I don't have the whole story, but from what I've been told, he was trying to find the warehouse where the gang members hung out and, instead, he stumbled upon the warehouse where Janet and Frank were being held. He was going after Carlos' girlfriend when he was shot from behind by one of the other kidnappers."

"Is he conscious?"

"Is he gonna live?"

TC and Rick fired their questions at Terri at the same time.

"He wasn't conscious when they brought him in," she answered, her voice growing low. "I'm praying he's going to make it."

"Thomas," TC said, pounding his fist against his thigh, "why did you go after them alone?"

"I knew I should've gone with him," Rick said, berating himself for not being with his friend. "But he wanted me to stay with Tony."

"You couldn't have known this was gonna happen," TC said.

"I thought he was just going to look around. I didn't know he was gonna get himself shot!"

"If only he'd called," TC said, trying not to think about the condition his friend was in. "We coulda been watching out for him. We could have warned him."

"We just have to hope he pulls through," Terri said, trying to be the encouraging one even though she felt far from upbeat.

"Did they say what his injuries are?" Rick asked.

Terri shook her head. "The only thing I heard when they brought him in was that they thought one of his lungs had collapsed, and they needed to find out where the bullet was lodged."

"C'mon, TM," TC said, unable to sit or stand still. "You know you can't die now. You know you have every reason in the world to keep fighting."

"Are you talking about his daughter?" Terri couldn't help but to venture a guess.

Rick and TC exchanged curious glances.

"You know about her?" Rick asked, tilting his head as he tried to picture Thomas telling her about Lily.

Terri nodded. "Lily, right?"

"Yeah, that's right," TC confirmed. "I guess TM must think you're all right if he told you about Lily."

"Since we've been staying at the estate, we've talked a few times. I know he felt as though he were being pulled in two directions,trying to stay focused on finding his daughter while alsotrying to help Janet and Carlos."

"Yeah," TC said, shaking his head. "This hasn't been the easiest time for him."

"But like you said, TC," Rick concurred, "Thomas has every reason in the world not to give up."

"Let's just hope that somewhere in that deep fog he must be in, he remembers that."

Rick looked at Terri. He couldn't help it. He now thought of her as someone whom Thomas liked and was attracted to. Why else would he confide in her about Lily? He didn't talk about that situation with just anyone. And that realization made him think Thomas had even more reason to fight to stay alive. Maybe he had finally found the woman who could help him get over his late wife Michelle once and for all.

* * *

The piercing scream woke Jack from a fitful sleep. He almost fell out of the chair he had been slumped in as he tried to make his way, in the dark, to Janet's bed. He found her thrashing about on the mattress, drenched in sweat, with the sheets tangled around her shapely legs.

"Let me go!" she yelled, when Jack tried to touch her to get her to stop moving and screaming.

"Janet, you're having a bad dream," he said, trying to bring her out of it. "It's just a dream. Just a bad dream."

He turned on the bedside light as she sat up in the bed, her cheeks tear-streaked, and grabbed for the sheet to try to calm herself.

"I knew I should've never tried to go to sleep."

"But you have to sleep some time," he said, sitting next to her on the bed.

She flinched but then accepted the light brushing of his knuckles along her soft cheek as he tried to wipe the tears away with the pad of this thumb.

"I can't sleep," she said, shaking her head. "Every time I close my eyes, the images are so real. It's like it's happening all over again."

"Janet," Jack said, scooting closer to her and running the palm of his hand down one of her bare arms, "I was thinking that maybe we should leave for LA tomorrow. I think as long as you're here, in this same environment, you're not going to be able to get over what happened. But if we go back to LA, you'll have new things to focus on, and maybe it will help you to put this incident behind you sooner. What do you think?"

"I can't leave, Jack," she said, causing her friend's heart to plummet.

"Wha-what are you talking about? You said you wanted to go back to Los Angeles. With me."

"I do, but as bad as this situation is, I can't leave tomorrow."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, you're not finished with your conference."

"I can't concentrate on that now," Jack said. "I got enough out of it."

"Well, for another, I can't leave this island until I know that Thomas is going to be all right."

"Are you serious?" Jack said, not trying to sound callous or heartless, but wondering why Janet would continue to cause herself misery.

"Yes, Jack. It's the right thing to do."

"Even if you know that Terri will be with him 24/7 if she could and that she is just a phone call away from you finding out the very latest news."

"Yes. Now, I know you can't stay here for how ever long it takes, so as soon as I start feeling better..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Jack said, holding up his hands. "What do you mean you know I can't stay?"

"You can't, Jack. You have a restaurant to run. You're supposed to leave this weekend."

"Janet, are you purposely not understanding me or did you hit your head when you were kidnapped? Because if you did, then I am taking you to the hospital right now."

"What are you talking about?" she said, rolling her eyes. "I did not hit my head."

"Then why are you talking nonsense?"

Janet looked hurt at Jack's words. "I am not talking nonsense."

"Yes, you are if you think I am going anywhere while you are still on this island. Because that is not happening, my friend. Not at all."

"But Jack, you can't stay here indefinitely, and it may be a while before I can leave."

"Why can't I stay?" Jack challenged, knowing he could be just as stubborn, if not more, than Janet.

"Because you have a restaurant to run, silly."

"I don't care about the Bistro, Janet. I care about you. Angelino will take of the place for me. I'll call him tomorrow."

"You would really do that?" Janet asked, feeling the tears starting to well up in her eyes again and hating that she was being so emotional. "For me?"

Jack reached out his arms to embrace her. She went into them willingly and let herself be comforted, once more, by his gentleness.

"Of course, I would do this for you."

He planted a soft kiss in her hair and then laid his cheek against its softness while he continued to try to comfort her.

"If you need to stay here until you find out if Thomas is going to be all right, then I'm going to be right here taking care of you."

Janet let herself go at his kindly spoken words and gestures. She clung to him more tightly than she ever had as he allowed herto release the tension he knew had built up inside of her.

"Let it all out," he coaxed, holding her closerwhen he felt her body begin to tremble again. "That's what these arms are for. It's going to be okay, Janet. I promise you it is."

He wanted so badly to tell her that he loved her, but he knew the time wasn't right. Her emotions were too raw, and he could tell she wasn't able to focus for more than a couple of minutes on any one thing before her mind flew back to the ordeal she had just endured.

He could wait. He would be with her and he would help her in any way he could. And then, when the time was right, he would tell her just how much she had come to mean to him. Maybe what she had alwaysmeant to him on some level.And by then, maybe, just maybe, she would be ready to start her new life and put this chapter behind her.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

The next morning, Jack entered the dining room and was surprised to see no one else was around. A tempting array of breakfast foods had been placed on the buffet behind the table. Jack poured himself a strong cup of Kona coffee and grabbed a pastry before settling down at the oak table to read the morning paper.

When he got to the Local section, his blue eyes widened and he cursed under his breath. Magnum's shooting had made the front page; Janet's name and picture were splashed on there, too. This was all she didn't need, he thought, and yet he couldn't stop looking at the pictures or reading the article. It didn't give him any new insight; he just didn't think he'd ever see Janet's face on the front page of a newspaper, involved in something like this, albeit not willingly.

When he heard tentative footsteps approaching, he swiftly folded the newspaper and tried to hide it behind his back, but Janet was too quick for him. After saying "good morning", she asked him what he was hiding behind his back.

"Nothing," he said, knowing he didn't sound very convincing.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and sat next to him at the table.

"If it's the Local section of the paper, you don't have to hide it. I've already seen it."

"You have?" Jack asked, surprised, as he returned the folded paper to the table.

Janet nodded after sipping her coffee. "I didn't sleep much. I've been up for hours."

"I wondered where you were when I woke up this morning, but I didn't know you had been gone for hours. You must be exhausted."

She shrugged. "I went for a morning swim. It helped. A little."

"You weren't by yourself, were you?" he asked, concerned.

"No," she said. Her heavy sigh sounded as though it had started from the soles of her feet. "Zeus and Apollo kept me company. Jonathan came out a little while later and worked on his garden."

Jack took a closer look at his friend and wondered how he had missed the dark circles underneath her eyes and how ragged and defeated she appeared. She looked as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. He desperately wanted to help her, but he didn't know if he could.

"Hey, Janet, I know you said you wanted to stay here, but maybe it would be better if we left."

"Not yet," she said, her resolve just as firm as it had been the previous night.

Jack nodded. He didn't want to press.

"Has there been any word about Magnum's condition?" he asked instead.

Janet wrapped her hands around the warm mug and took another long swallow before she answered.

"Terri called a little while ago. She said Thomas made it through the surgery, but he's still in a coma. They don't know when he's going to come out of it."

She set the mug on the placemat and rose from her chair. She headed for the double French doors, hugging herself at her waist. Jack watched her for a few moments and then slowly approached her. When he placed his hands on her shoulders from behind, she didn't move away. After a few seconds, she leaned back into his solid chest and allowed his gentle touch to soothe her.

"Look at that beautiful beach and sun-filled sky," she said, her voice filled with sadness.

"I see it," Jack said, realizing it was going to be another beautiful day in so-called paradise.

"How can it be so bright and gorgeous outside when I feel so empty and dark inside? I don't know, Jack. I see the sunshine. I just don't know if it will ever be able to warm me again."

* * *

Against his better judgment and knowing he was going against strict hospital rules, Dr. Ron Yamaguchi, Thomas' treating doctor, gave in and allowed his friend Terri to visit Thomas in ICU.

"Just for a few minutes," he cautioned, as he opened the door for her.

She nodded and smiled her thanks before entering the room.

Terri knew what to expect but that didn't stop her from reacting with a shudder and a frown when she saw the various tubes attached to Thomas' body and the machines surrounding his bed. Hearing the constant whir of those machines and the beeping of the heart monitor didn't help her nerves either.

She looked around the small confines and spotted a chair in the corner. She pulled it close to Thomas' bed and sat down. She stared at him as if willing him to open his eyes.

"Hey, there," she said, her voice soft and soothing. "You made it through the worst part. My friend, Dr. Ron, said you did great in surgery. They got the bullet out. Now, you just need to rest so you can come back to us."

She scooted closer to the edge of the chair so she could touch him. She just wanted him to know that someone was there with him. That he wasn't all alone. She placed her warm hand on top of his, careful not to disturb the IV in his arm.

"We're not giving up on you," she promised, as tears welled in her eyes. "And we're not giving up trying to find Lily either. You need her, Thomas. Now, more than ever."

Watching him lay motionless in the bed, she realized she would like nothing more than to be able to help find Thomas' beloved daughter and bring her to her father in his time of need.

* * *

Lt. Maggie Poole, a petite woman with red hair and blue eyes, who was a good friend of Magnum's, entered her superior officer's office on the Pearl Harbor Navy base and, without preamble, dropped the Local section of the newspaper on his desk.

"Did you see this, Colonel Green?" she asked, her jaw set and her tone grim.

Col. Buck Green, whose eyes were as steely as his voice and his posture, not to mention his personality, looked from the headline to the lieutenant he knew had a very personal interest in this particular story.

"Yes, I did," he answered, sitting back in his chair and steepling his fingers as he contemplated what Lt. Poole might say next.

"Don't you think it's time we told someone about Lily?" she nearly pleaded.

The officer, who had been Magnum's strongest nemesis when they both served in the Navy, straightened in his chair as his eyes bored into hers.

"No one mentions Lily," he ordered. "Do you understand me, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, but..." she said, helplessly gesturing to the article.

Col. Green picked it up and gave it a cursory glance.

"This says our good friend Magnum is in a coma."

He tossed the paper back onto his desk and relaxed, once more, against the back of his chair.

"What good would it do to tell him about his daughter? He's not even awake."

"But, sir," Maggie continued, trying not to be intimidated by the fierce and unmoving look on her commanding officer's face. "You know that tests have been done which show a person in a coma might be able to hear what people are saying. Maybe if we tell Thomas..."

Without warning, Col. Green rose from his chair and placed his hands on his desk as he leaned in and stared at the attractive woman he had come to respect and admire, despite her obvious fondness for someone he did not care for in the least.

"No one says anything to anyone about Lily," he commanded. "Is that understood, Lt. Poole?"

"Yes, sir," she said, saluting him before she turned and left his office, her insides a jumbled mess as her heart quietly began to break for her friend.

Col. Buck Green returned to his swivel chair and ran his hands over his face as he glanced at the article one more time.

"What have you gone and done now, Magnum?"

He shook off any semblance of concern he might have had as he tried to concentrate on the report in front of him. But a few moments later, he opened his desk drawer and pulled out a photograph of Lily. He looked from her picture to the one of her father.

"When the time is right," he said, returning Lily's picture to his drawer for safekeeping. "And not one second sooner."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Knowing that her friend was doing her a favor and not wanting to take advantage of his kind nature or get either of them in trouble, Terri did not spend much time with Thomas, despite finding it difficult to leave. She stopped at the Club after leaving the hospital and talked with Rick and TC while they coaxed her to order something to eat.

"How's Janet doing?" TC asked, after Terri had brought them up to date on Thomas' condition.

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I talked to her this morning. She didn't sound good. I'm on my way to the estate. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to talk."

"I'm surprised she's still on the Island," Rick said.

"To be honest, I am, too," Terri said.

"Is she really going to leave?" TC asked.

"Yes," she nodded sadly. "I think she is."

TC shook his head. "It's such a shame. Janet liked living here up until this had to happen. Things certainly don't make sense some times."

"You got that right," Rick agreed.

"Well," Terri said, after finishing her meal and getting ready to leave, "there's always a chance she might stay, but I doubt it."

"Is she going back with Jack?" Rick asked.

Terri nodded. "I think that's the plan. I'll know more when I talk to her."

"Give her our best," TC said, "and make sure we see her and Jack before they leave."

"Will do. Please, guys, let me know if you hear anything, anything at all, about Thomas."

"Sure. You do the same."

Terri nodded, thanked them and headed for Robin Masters' estate.

* * *

When Terri arrived at the estate, she found Janet curled up on the sofa in the living room sound asleep. She gently placed a nearby blanket over her and then decided to head to her room for some much-needed sleep. 

Two hours later, a soft knock on the door woke her from a restless sleep. A quick glance at the clock radio told her it was midday. She told her visitor to come in. Sitting up in the bed, she was happy to see Janet enter her room.

"Hey, I'm glad to see you," Terri said, motioning for Janet to sit on her bed. "How are you?"

"Did I wake you up?" Janet wanted to know after taking a seat.

"Not really. I was sorta sleeping, but I think I was more awake than anything. I hope you got some shut eye. You looked peaceful when I got here, so I didn't want to wake you."

Janet nodded. "It was a better rest than I had last night. I couldn't believe the weird dreams I was having. They were so weird, I thought they were real and that freaked me out even more."

"I know what you mean. I hate to tell you, but you may have those for a while."

"I guessed as much. Oh, well. Say, any more news on Thomas?"

"Not since I talked to you earlier. I stopped by the Club to see Rick and TC before I came here. I told them to let me know if they find out anything. I'm guessing no one has called."

"Not that I know of. I think Jonathan was going to stop by the hospital, so maybe he'll have some news when he gets back."

"Maybe."

Terri couldn't stifle a yawn; Janet started to rise from the bed.

"I should let you get more sleep. I know you must be exhausted."

But a hand on her forearm stopped her progress.

"Don't leave, Janet. I want to talk to you."

Janet looked at her friend. "I think I know what this is about."

"Are you leaving Hawaii? Are you going back to LA with Jack?"

"I'm not sure," Janet answered, looking and sounding a bit sheepish. "I've been thinking about calling my sister Jenny to see if I could visit with her and her family. For a little while, anyway."

"You mean instead of returning to LA with Jack?"

Janet nodded weakly.

"I think Jack will be very disappointed," Terri felt compelled to say, although she didn't think her friend's idea was such a bad one.

Janet started to look away from her friend and then decided to face her.

"I know. But, right now, LA just seems like another busy city. I don't think going back there will help me. At least, not right now."

"What about Santa Monica? That's not as bad. And Jack would be there with you."

"You're right. And I know I said I would go back with him, and I know I said time is precious, but something doesn't feel right to me, Terri, and I can't go against my instincts. Not again."

"I understand if you need time. Jack will, too."

I hope, Terri added silently.

"Maybe things will get better once Thomas is out of his coma," Janet voiced. "I'm staying here until that happens because I need to know he's going to be all right. I want to talk to him. I want to thank him for helping to save my life."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation.

"Terri, is Janet with you?" Jonathan asked.

"Yes, she is. Come in," Terri said.

He opened the door and let them know that Janet's boss, Mr. Pineda, was downstairs in the den.

"He'd like a moment of your time," Jonathan said to Janet.

"Okay," she said, not sure why he was there and not sure she wanted to see him. "Tell him we'll be down in a minute."

"Very well. Jack is with him now."

"Okay. Thank you, Jonathan."

As Janet combed her fingers through her hair while looking in Terri's mirror, Terri asked Janet why she thought Mr. Pineda had come.

"Good question. I have no idea."

"Maybe he just wants to make sure you're all right."

"That makes sense. The police kept saying he wasn't involved in all of this. I guess the fact that he's here proves that point. Let's find out what he wants."

* * *

When Janet and Terri entered the den, they saw Jack leaning back against Higgins' desk, his arms folded in front of him, looking intense. 

Carlos Pineda rose from the chair he had been sitting in near the entrance doors and immediately offered his heartfelt apologies to Janet.

"I'm so sorry for what you've been through because of me and my family," he began.

Jack moved to stand near Janet, placing a protective and comforting arm around her shoulders.

"You don't know the half of it," Jack said.

Janet tried to calm him down.

"It's okay, Jack," she said, sounding more in control than she felt. "I'd like to hear what Mr. Pineda has to say."

He pointed to the chair; Janet told him to have a seat. He nodded his thanks and made himself comfortable while the trio situated themselves on the sofa across from him, with Janet sandwiched in between her two best friends.

"I talked to Lt. Tanaka, and as far as he's concerned, the threat is over. My brother and Melinda are in jail and will be for quite some time. My son has agreed to testify, so his sentence has been commuted. My understanding is that the police raided the warehouse next to the one where you were being held, and they captured the gang members who talked once in custody. I believe the police caught everyone involved in this latest drug ring."

"That's good news," Janet said.

"Yes, it is," Pineda agreed. "If only you and Mr. Magnum hadn't been caught in the crossfire. I know I can't change what happened, but I would like to help ease your burden, if you'll let me."

"What do you mean?" Jack asked, his brow furrowing.

Carlos pulled an envelope from the inside pocket of his jacket and handed it to Janet.

"I'm selling my flower business," he said. "It feels very tainted to me now, and since I was associated with all that went down, I'm sure my name is not trustworthy at this time. But I can assure you the check made out to you in this envelope is trustworthy. Please accept it, Janet, with my sincerest apologies for all you have been through because of me and my family."

Janet accepted the envelope but she didn't open it.

"Mr. Pineda, I'm sorry to hear you're losing your business. You were a great boss. I want you to know I don't think badly of you."

"I appreciate that, but it is my job to keep my employees safe and to know what is going on around me. I lost my focus, and this is the result, unfortunately. I hope that money will help you to get your life back on track. And again, I am so very sorry. For everything."

Mr. Pineda rose from his chair. "I have an envelope for Mr. Magnum, too. I'm praying he comes out of his coma and will be all right. I want him to know I am taking care of all his medical bills. Is Mr. Higgins around? I'd like to leave this envelope with him, if I may."

"I'll get him," Terri volunteered.

A few moments later, Jonathan entered the room and accepted the envelope from Mr. Pineda.

"This is very kind of you," Jonathan said.

"I know Mr. Magnum is in a coma, but when he comes to, I want him to know that I am taking care of all his hospital expenses and any other expenses related to his recovery."

"Again, Mr. Pineda, that is very kind of you," Jonathan said. "I'm sure Magnum will be most appreciative."

Carlos Pineda looked around the room. "It can't take away the pain and suffering my family has caused, but it's the least I can do. I'll leave you now. Thank you for your time."

Mr. Pineda had no sooner taken his leave than TC and Rick arrived to see how Janet was doing.

"How are you?" Rick asked, as he and TC settled themselves in the den.

"I'm doing okay," she said, trying to sound upbeat. "It's so nice of you guys to visit."

"We came from the hospital," TC said. "They still won't let us see TM, but they said his vitals are stable, whatever that means."

"That's good," Terri said. "That means he's holding his own even though he hasn't woken up."

"Well, I wish he would," Rick said, allowing his frustration and anxiety to get the better of him.

An unexpected buzzing of the front security gates stalled their conversation. Higgins answered the call and was surprised to hear Lt. Maggie Poole's voice.

"Of course," the others heard him say. "I'll let you right in."

After allowing the gates to open, he returned to his guests. "Lt. Poole is on her way in."

"I wonder what she wants?" TC asked.

"Maybe just to see how Magnum is doing," Jonathan offered.

"Maybe," Rick said. "But I'd think she could find out more at the hospital."

"Well, we'll know in a moment, won't we?" Jonathan said.

"Who's Lt. Poole?" Jack asked.

TC turned his attention to Janet, Jack and Terri. "Lt. Poole is a good friend of TM's," he explained. "She's been a good connection for him on some of his cases where he needs to find out classified information."

"She works at Pearl?" Jack asked.

Rick nodded. He was about to say more when the doorbell rang. Higgins excused himself and several moments later, he returned with Maggie, who held the small hand of a bewildered six-year-old child, who had long, somewhat curly, brown hair and the most inquisitive, beautifulbrown eyes.

"I didn't realize you had so many guests," Maggie said to Jonathan.

"It's quite all right," he assured her. "We're all concerned about Magnum."

"I am, too," Maggie said, "and that's why I'm here. I'm going against orders, but I want to introduce all of you to Lily Catherine Magnum, Thomas' daughter."

As gasps of surprise and stares of astonishment traveled around the room, a small voice spoke in her native French. Only Maggie and Higgins understood what Lily had said.

"What did she say?" TC asked, still in awe at seeing his best friend's daughter in the flesh.

"She has only one question," Jonathan responded, shaking his head. "Lily wants to know where her father is."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

After the initial shock had worn off and proper introductions were made, Lily slipped her hand from Maggie's and pointed at Janet.

"I think she wants to sit with you," Jonathan said.

They made room for her on the sofa. Janet patted the space next to her and Lily nodded. She raced to the couch and climbed up on it. Janet made sure her pretty light blue dress didn't get wrinkled.

"Hello," Janet said and smiled at the little girl who still looked so lost and confused.

Janet waved; Lily waved back and then leaned her head against Janet's arm. The gesture touched Janet's heart and caused her unsettled emotions to rise up. She felt the threat of tears and quickly willed herself not to cry.

"I'll serve coffee and tea," Jonathan said, realizing the explanation as to how Magnum's daughter had ended up at Robin's Nest may take some time.

In French, he asked Lily if she would like a glass of milk and a couple of cookies. She nodded.

"I'll be right back."

"Lily has certainly taken a liking to you, Janet," Maggie said with a smile.

"She's precious," Janet gushed, amazed that the shy little girl had snuggled so close to her.

"Maybe it's because of Janet's height," Jack teased.

Janet playfully punched his arm. "Hey!"

Jack laughed. "I'm just kidding."

The little girl looked at Jack, who was still smiling, and then quietly giggled into Janet's arm.

Lily's unexpected but very welcome arrival had seemed to release some of the tension the adults had been feeling. Their focus was now on her and what she needed. Once Jonathan had returned and had settled Lily at his desk with her milk and cookies, he took a seat, ready to hear whatever details Maggie cared to share with them.

"How did you find Lily?" TC asked, impatient to hear the story.

Maggie looked around the room, uncertain how much to say to the people she had just met.

"It's all right," Jonathan assured her. "I believe Terri knows some of what happened to Lily and her mother Michelle, and Janet and Jack are friends who can be trusted."

Maggie nodded. "I don't mean to be suspicious," she said, looking from Janet to Jack to Terri, "it's just that this isn't an easy thing to talk about."

"Take your time," Rick said, "but do tell us everything you can."

"Yeah," TC echoed. "Everything."

Maggie swallowed and then told them as much as she could. "We had people watching every move Michelle and Lily made. Unfortunately, the people who planted the car bomb got away with it. After the explosion that took Michelle's life, our people realized, much like Thomas did, that Lily was not in the car when it exploded. They began a mad search for her and finally found her huddled inside the house. She had heard the noise while searching for her doll, but they don't believe she saw the actual explosion."

"Thank God," Jonathan said quietly, looking at Lily who was chewing her cookie and smiling at her.

She waved to Janet and then took a big gulp of milk.

"Yes," Maggie and the others agreed. "But she didn't understand what had happened to her mother."

"Naturally," Higgins said.

"Our men got her to a very safe place. They took her to the church where Michelle used to worship. The nuns took excellent care of her and tried to explain things as best they could."

"Why didn't anyone notify Thomas?" Rick asked.

Maggie shook her head, looking apologetic. "We didn't know if it was safe. Our men didn't know who else was out there, waiting for Thomas to make a move. Once Lily had come to sort of understand that her mother wouldn't be returning, she began to ask for her 'Papa'. She remembered her mother bringing her here to visit. She wanted to see her 'Papa'. Our men didn't know who she was talking about until they found a picture of Thomas and Michelle. Lily pointed to him and called him her 'Papa'. Then our men knew who she meant."

Jonathan shook his head in amazement. "Michelle finally told her. Astonishing."

"That's what we concluded, but Col. Green didn't want that to become common knowledge to anyone. He finally decided to bring her here. He thought we could do a better job of keeping her safe."

"How long have you had her?" TC asked.

"Several months."

"Were you ever going to tell TM?" TC demanded.

"Yes, we were," Maggie said, trying to assure Magnum's friends that they were going to do the right thing. "But Col. Green didn't think the time was right."

"He never does," Rick said with disgust.

"I agreed with him," Maggie admitted reluctantly. "Thomas was not in a good place when he received that videotape."

"How could he have been?" TC questioned. "He'd just seen his wife and child die because of a car bomb. How was he supposed to have reacted?"

"He saw it?" Jack asked.

Rick nodded. "His nemesis sent him a videotape from prison. Thomas believed Michelle and Lily were safe. The next thing he knew, he was watching the car explode."

"He went into a deep funk," TC added. "Only after he started to come out of it did he realize that Lily had gotten out of the car. He didn't see or hear any sign that she had returned to the car. When he got a friend of his to confirm it, there was no stopping him from trying to find his daughter."

"We just wanted to keep her safe," Maggie said, her voice low.

"When you arrived," Jonathan said, "you mentioned you had gone against orders. Are we to understand that Col. Green still doesn't believe the time is right?"

Maggie nodded. "He said what good would it do to tell Thomas his daughter is here when he's in a coma, but I believe he should know. And I believe it's time Lily got to know the surroundings here since this will be her home once Thomas is out of the hospital."

The lieutenant saw their concerned faces and felt she had to speak up. "Don't you see? My bringing Lily here, against strict orders, is a sign of my faith. I believe Thomas will fully recover and be a wonderful father to his daughter."

"You took a very big risk," Jonathan felt compelled to say.

"I know," Maggie said, nodding. "That's why this has to work out. If Thomas had not been injured, Col. Green would have eventually had to bring Lily to her father. She's been asking for him non-stop. I just took the liberty of speeding things up. That's all."

"I know TM will be grateful you were looking out for him and his daughter," TC said.

"I hope he sees it that way," she said. "And I hope he can forgive me."

"I don't think there's anything to forgive you for," Jonathan said. "You kept his daughter safe and you brought her to us in his time of need. Now, it's our turn. We must do everything in our power to make sure father and daughter have the reunion they both need and deserve."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Wow," Jack said, when he and Janet were alone. "There's never a dull moment around here, is there?"

"Apparently not," Janet agreed.

They were sitting on the terrace watching the sun slowly sink into the vast blue ocean. Maggie, TC and Rick had left, Terri had gone to work at the hospital, and Jonathan was making sure Lily had everything she needed for the night.

"I felt so bad for Lily when she realized she left her doll at the church," Janet said.

"Especially since that doll is apparently what saved her life."

Janet nodded. "Do you think Jonathan would let me take her shopping tomorrow?"

"You've really become attached to her, haven't you?" Jack asked.

"How could I not? She's adorable. Plus," she added with a grin, "she became attached to me first."

"Just shows she has good taste," Jack said and smiled.

"I wish she spoke more English, though. Do you think we'll have a hard time communicating?"

"Not if you can point."

Janet chuckled. "I suppose you're right."

Jack stroked Janet's dark hair as he gazed at her. "It's nice to see you looking and sounding more like yourself. What if I went shopping with you and Lily tomorrow? I think we would enjoy ourselves. For a change."

Janet smiled. "I'd like that, Jack. I'd like that a lot."

* * *

When Terri arrived at the estate late that night, all was quiet as she headed for her room. Walkingquietly along the upstairs corridor, she decided to look in on Lily who was sleeping peacefully. Terri leaned against the door frame to watch the little girl as she slept. She'd been discouraged when she left the hospital. Thomas had not made any significant progress. She'd thought about telling him that his daughter was at the estate, but she didn't. She didn't think it was her place to be the one to tell him, although she certainly thought it wouldn't hurt to tell him even if he couldn't respond to the news.

An hour later, after trying unsuccessfully to fall asleep, Terri cinched her pink robe around her waist and padded her way to the guest house. She wasn't sure why she felt the need to spend some time there, but she did, so she didn't question her instinct. She just followed it.

She found the key Higgins had told her was hidden underneath a planter box and used it to unlock the door. She saw the light switch at the top of the staircase and flipped it on. After quietly closing the door, she ambled down the staircase and entered the living room where she turned on a lamp. She looked around and had to chuckle, even as she was shaking her head, at the clothes scattered about on the sofa and on the banister, the dishes that hadn't been washed or even moved from the coffee table, and the assorted books, magazines, and CDs that were all over the place.

"That's my Thomas," she said out loud, with her hands on her hips.

And then she stopped. Had she really referred to him as "her" Thomas? Where had that come from? Absentmindedly, she moved a stack of magazines and sat down on the sofa. She wasn't sure why she had called him that, but she knew it was true. Somewhere, in all this crazy chaos of the past few days, she realized she had come to care about Magnum a great deal. She had no idea if he felt the same way about her, and at the moment, it really didn't matter, but she clung to the fact that he had confided in her about Lily. Had even told her about the journals he had been writing for his daughter. She had shared that information with no one, not even her closest friends, Janet and Jack.

"I need to see those journals," she said, again out loud. "I need to find them, so I know they exist and so I can show them to Lily, if it comes to that."

Remembering where he told her they were because she had memorized every single detail of the last conversation they'd had, she started to make her way into his bedroom, the one room she had not been in during her previous visits, when she realized she needed to straighten up his guest house. Lily would want to see where her father lived. Terri would like to be the one to show it to her.

She began cleaning up when she realized it was too quiet in the house. Too eerie. She tried to work the radio or the CD player but found she couldn't. Her eyes drifted to the television and VCR. She saw a videotape sitting on top of the VCR. She wondered briefly if it was the videotape that was sent to Thomas with malicious intent. She told herself not to think about it and continued to clean up. But a little while later, curiosity got the better of her. She had to know what was on that videotape. She managed to work the TV and the VCR. She found the remote on the coffee table. After sitting down on the edge of the table, she pressed "play". She soon wished she hadn't, but like a car accident on the road, she found she couldn't look away as the scene played out in graphic detail before her. When she saw the horrific footage of the car exploding, she literally jumped up from the table and covered her mouth with her hand but not before a small scream escaped from her lips. She fumbled for the remote and finally stopped the tape.

She got up and began to frantically wash the dishes, scrubbing them so hard she would have rubbed off the design on the plates if it had been possible. She thought if she scrubbed hard enough she could erase the mental images she now had in her mind, but she knew she was only kidding herself. She thought the taunting Thomas' enemy did throughout the beginning of the video had been hideous but that turned out to be nothing compared to videotaping the actual car bombing. Who would do something so heinous? She decided she couldn't think about it any more and concentrated all her efforts on making the guest house respectable for Thomas' daughter.

Two hours later, she finally plopped down on the sofa and looked around at the near spotless rooms. Exhausted but still too keyed up to sleep, she cautiously entered Thomas' bedroom, which she found to be extraordinarily neat compared to the rest of the house. She wondered why that was as she looked around the room. After a few moments, her eyes landed on a gold picture frame atop his dresser. It was a wedding picture of him and Michelle. Terri carefully picked it up and held it in her hands. Michelle had been an attractive woman; she couldn't deny that. She saw where Lily got her rich hair and brown eyes. Thomas, dressed in his Navy whites, almost took her breath away. He looked dashing and very happy, she had to admit, despite the fact he was fighting the war in Vietnam. He looked like a man in love, she decided, as she returned the frame to its rightful place on his dresser.

The king-size bed called to her. She finally sat down and opened the drawer to the nightstand. She peered in and saw that the journals were there, just as Thomas had described. She removed one from the drawer and ran her hand over the smooth tan leather. She quickly flipped through the pages and saw his handwriting on almost every page. He certainly had a lot to tell his daughter. Knowing that it was not her place to read what he had written, she returned the book to the top of the stack in the drawer and closed it. It was enough, for now, to know that his journals, his letters and thoughts to his daughter, had not been disturbed.

Now barely able to keep her eyes open, Terri removed her slippers and stretched out on top of the bed. Just for a little while, she told herself, as she found a blanket on a nearby chair. She reached for it and covered herself with it. His bed was so comfortable, she told herself, as she stretched out even more. Before five minutes had passed, Terri was off in slumber land, dreaming of a world without danger to herself, Thomas, or any of their friends.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

To Jack and Janet's delight, Lily agreed to go shopping with them. She asked Jonathan, in French, if she could get another doll. Jonathan told her that Janet would help her pick out a very special one. She smiled at Janet and reached for her hand as the trio walked to the silver gray Audi parked in front of the estate. From the porch, Jonathan waved good-bye and told them to be careful butalso to have fun.

Once inside the car, Janet directed Jack to the Ala Moana Shopping Center just outside of Waikiki. It was another glorious day in Hawaii; Janet realized she didn't feel nearly as despondent as she had before Lily's arrival. Something about the innocence and trust of a child, she thought, as Jack weaved his way towards Waikiki. Those traits had managed to restore some of her faith in mankind. Some.

They found a parking spot relatively easily since it was still early morning, and then they made their way towards the entrance to the two-story mall. Lily stopped every once in a while to look at the fountain that was gushing with water or to see a bird that had landed on the walkway. Once they entered the mall, which had plenty of people walking around even though it was a weekday, Janet showed Lily that she wanted her to hold Jack's hand, too. Lily looked up at him and smiled as she let him take her hand.

The first store they spotted was for children's clothing and shoes. Janet pointed at the display window where they had cute Capri pants and flowery print summer tops on sale for little girls. Lily's eyes lit up and she nodded. She and Janet found several outfits for her to try on while Jack waited patiently.

They ended up buying three new pastel outfits, two pairs of shoes, one pair of white sandals that was decorated with pink and yellow daisies, and a little girl's purse that had Barbie on it. Lily wanted to wear the sandals and carry the purse; Jack and Janet let her.

Jack spotted a cookware store and begged Janet to let him look around. She looked at Lily and rolled her eyes; Lily covered her giggle with her hand.

"Jack likes to cook," Janet tried to explain once they were inside the store.

She picked up a frying pan and a wooden spoon and tried to show Lily what she meant. Lily shook her head.

"See, Janet," Jack teased. "You can't even convince a six-year-old child that you know how to cook."

Janet gave him a stern look but amusement danced in her dark eyes. Jack laughed.

"Cook," Jack said, bending down and motioning with his hands that he was eating. "I like to make things to eat."

Lily still didn't seem to understand what they were saying. Janet grabbed a cookbook and started showing her pictures of the foods that had been prepared. Lily pointed at what she liked. Jack finally thought of a solution. He donned a chef's hat and apron and demonstrated one of his cooking techniques in a skillet that he realized he would like to have. Lily nodded and laughed as Jack made silly faces and pretended to be cooking until the saleslady asked that he stop. He decided he'd better buy the chef's hat, the cookbook and the apron, too.

After looking around at the various stores for over an hour, they decided to head for the toy store. They knew they would be in there for a while, and they were right. Lily loved everything she saw, but she didn't ask for anything until she found a doll that reminded her of the one she'd lost. She pointed at it and looked up at Jack and Janet expectantly, her brown eyes filled with delight.

"Is that the one you want?" Janet asked, pointing also.

"Like," Lily said.

"This one," Jack said, removing it from the shelf so she could inspect it up close.

"Mine," Lily said, hugging the soft, pliable doll to her chest.

She had curly brown hair and big green eyes and wore a navy blue dress with flowers on it that looked to be handmade.

"Are you sure that's the one you want?" Jack asked. "You want to look around some more?"

He motioned with his hands for her to look around, but she continued to hug the doll close to her chest.

"Mine," she said again.

"Okay," Jack and Janet said in unison.

"I think Lily has found the doll she wants," Jack said.

She only let them take it from her so they could pay for it and then she pointed to the bag.

"You want to carry the doll?" Janet asked, removing the doll from the bag and hugging it to herself.

"Me," Lily said, reaching for the doll.

Janet gave it to her willingly. The smile on Lily's face as she held the doll close almost brought tears of happiness for a change to Janet's eyes. It didn't seem to take much to make the little girl content. If only Thomas could see her and vice-versa, Janet thought, and then she knew she couldn't think about that right now.

"Let's find a place to eat," Jack said. "I'm starving."

"Jonathan mentioned Lily likes rice," Janet said. "Let's find a place that serves Chinese."

And they did. Lily enjoyed her steamed rice with a few snow peas and part of an egg roll while Jack and Janet enjoyed an express lunch meal. Jack put some of his chow mein on Lily's plate. She liked it and smiled as she pointed to the same food on his plate and motioned for him to eat.

"I guess I haven't eaten much in the past few days," Janet said. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until I tasted this food. It's delicious."

"I'll second that," Jack said, after biting into his second pork bun.

Janet took a break from her meal to sit back and look around the food court that wasn't too crowded but had just enough people milling around to make it interesting.

"Isn't this nice?" she finally asked. "I can't believe how relaxed and happy I am to be with you and Lily. I'm still thinking about Thomas, of course, but it's such a treat to see different scenery and different faces. Most importantly, it's nice not to feel scared or to always be looking over my shoulder."

"I can understand that," Jack said. "I'm glad you're enjoying this. I was hoping getting away from the estate would help. I know what you mean about Magnum, but there's nothing we can do except keep him in our thoughts."

Janet nodded and then she looked at Lily. She brushed her long soft hair with the palm of her hand as she smiled at her. "And we can keep his precious daughter happy and safe."

"That we can definitely do," Jack agreed.

When they had finished their meal, Jack picked up Lily and gently tickled her tummy which made her laugh and smile.

"Who wants ice cream?" he asked and pointed across the way to the lively ice cream parlor.

Lily followed his finger and then she nodded and clapped happily when she saw the different flavors and colors of ice cream.

"You are so bad," Janet said, as they headed in that direction. "You would spoil your children rotten. I can see it now."

"I would not," Jack said, feigning indignation. "I can spoil Lily because she's not mine."

He grinned at his friend who shook her head. "You'd be a pushover, and you know it."

"I don't know any such thing," he denied, as he let Lily look through the glass so she could see all the different kinds of ice cream. "Just for that, Janet, you don't get any dessert. So there."

He covered the corner of Lily's face so she couldn't see him stick his tongue out at Janet, who was now having a good laugh.

"So mature," she said, but she was enjoying every moment of this outing.

They felt like a real family, she thought, as Jack helped Lily carry her sugar cone which had been topped with not one, but two scoops of double fudge ice cream. And that thought didn't terrify her at all. In fact, it made her feel almost giddy. Is this what she had been longing for these past months, this past year? She'd always enjoyed being around kids, but when her marriage to Phillip didn't happen, she put thoughts of being a wife and a mother aside. She couldn't let herself dwell on what wasn't and what seemed destined not to be. But now she wasn't so sure. Jack had been against merely living together with Vicky. He was a man who still believed in the sanctity of marriage. Could it be he was also thinking about fatherhood? Did he want to be a father someday? Watching him with Lily one would think she was his daughter. He helped her eat her ice cream before it melted, and he was ready with a napkin to clean her hands, her face and her dress, should any spill onto it. Janet realized she could watch him with Lily all day. He was that natural with her.

As Jack continued to hold a now tired Lily while Janet browsed the bookstore looking for some bedtime books to read to her, or to just show her the pictures, Janet had to admit that Lily had somehow managed to bring a bit of healing to her and to the people around her. As she looked at the child who now laid her head on Jack's strong shoulder and closed her eyes as if she slept in Jack's arms every day, Janet could only hope Lily could somehow bring a lot of healing to her father.

He needs you, sweetheart, Janet thought. So much. And then she gently rubbed the sleeping child's back before heading to the counter to pay for the books she had decided to buy.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As soon as Lily entered the house, she ran ahead of Jack and Janet to find Higgins so she could show him her doll, her purse and her sandals. Soon after, Terri appeared in the den and greeted Jack and Janet. She commented on how relaxed they looked.

"It was a really nice day," Janet said, looking at Jack and giving him a grateful smile. "I'll show you what we bought."

She set the packages on the floor and began to remove the items from the bags so Terri could see them.

She liked the outfits and laughed when Jack told her how he had come to be the proud owner of the chef's hat and the apron.

Jack and Terri were helping Janet return the items to their bags when Lily found them. She looked crestfallen and her soft brown eyes were wet. Higgins followed closely behind; Janet asked what happened. Jonathan shook his head.

"She thought her father was going to be here," he explained.

Terri knelt down and tenderly clasped the little girl's hands in her own.

"I want to show you something," Terri said.

She smiled to let Lily know it was something good. Lily looked to Jonathan for translation. When Jonathan told her what Terri had said, Lily nodded and agreed to go with Terri.

"Where are you taking her?" Jack asked.

"To show her where her father lives," Terri answered.

They all agreed it was probably a good idea, so while Terri and Lily headed for the guest house, Jack and Janet headed upstairs to put away the items they had bought.

Alone in the bedroom Lily was using, Jack asked Janet a question that had been on his mind.

"I know it's none of my business," he began, "but I was wondering about that check you got from Pineda."

"It's funny you mentioned that," she said. "I was going to tell you about it when we had a minute alone. Can you believe this, Jack? The check is for $250,000. I almost fainted when I saw it."

"$250,000!" Jack exclaimed. "Are you kidding me?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I couldn't believe it either, but it's true."

"Janet, you have to get that money in the bank or invest it or something!"

"I know. But I need to figure out what I'm going to do and where I'm going to live."

"With that amount of money, you could do whatever you want and live wherever you want, too. $250,000."

Jack shook his head. He couldn't wrap his mind around that amount of money. Especially in check form.

"But," he added, after a few moments of thinking about the money, "does that mean you're not coming back to LA?"

"I don't know, Jack. Everything has been so crazy lately, and when I think about LA, I just see a big, busy city that may not have what I want."

Jack nodded to show he understood, but he couldn't hide his disappointment.

"I'm sorry," she said, feeling that she had somehow failed him. "I just want to be certain I'm making the right decision."

"I know you do. I said I would give you time, and I will. Just don't rule out Santa Monica totally. Okay?"

Janet nodded and smiled. "Okay," she agreed. "I won't."

* * *

Clutching her beloved doll close to her, Lily took her time looking around her father's house. She sort of remembered it from her previous visit, but she also remembered that her father had been there. With her. They had laughed together. He had talked to her in Vietamese, and when she talked in French, Higgins told Magnum whatshe had said. They had eaten hot dogs andwatched the Detroit Tigersbaseball team on television. Even though, at that time, she only knew him as "Tomas", her mother's friend, and did not know he was her father, she liked being with him. A lot.

As Terri watched, Lily walked into her father's bedroom. She followed her, knowing that Lily would see the picture of her mother and her father. She wanted to be with her when she discovered it.

As expected, Lily looked at Terri and then pointed to the frame.

"Mama," she said, continuing to point. "Papa."

She tried to reach for the frame, but it was too high. Terri retrieved it and pointed towards the bed where they could sit down and study the picture more closely.

After placing her doll next to her, Lily wanted to hold the frame on her lap; Terri let her.

"Your mama," Terri said, pointing from Lily to Michelle, "was très joli."

Lily smiled at the French words Terri had somehow managed to remember from school that meant "very pretty" and at the compliment. She nodded.

"Oui. I miss Mama."

She spoke the words slowly but correctly.

"I know you do, sweetheart."

Lily didn't understand what Terri had said, but she saw the look of concern on her face and knew she empathized.

"See Papa?" Lily asked.

"Maybe soon," Terri said, trying to give the child some hope.

"Soon?" Lily repeated.

"Maybe," Terri said.

She made a mental note to tell Jonathan to translate what she had said to Lily.

Lily didn't want to let go of the photo. She pointed towards the pillow on the bed.

"Sleepy?" Terri asked, placing her hands together and laying her cheek on top of them.

Lily nodded. She let Terri remove her sandals and then she stretched out her small frame onto the large bed. With the picture tucked underneath one arm and her doll firmly planted in the other, she closed her eyes. Terri sat on the bed for a while, just enjoying watching the child sleep.

When she was sure Lily would be okay and wouldn't fall off the bed, she covered her with the same blanket she had used the previous night, and then she headed for the living room to make herself comfortable on the couch.

She had just gotten settled with a mystery novel she had found when there was a knock on the door followed by Jonathan's entrance.

"Terri, there's a phone call for you. You can take it in the den."

"Thank you. Will you please stay with Lily? She's sleeping on Thomas' bed."

"It would be my pleasure."

Terri ran to the main house and said a breathless "hello" once she reached the phone.

"Terri, it's Ron."

His voice sounded excited. Terri took that to mean he had good news.

"What is it?" she asked, hoping for the best.

"I thought you'd want to know that Thomas has been moving is fingers and his toes on command. We think he's starting to come out of the coma."

"Yes!" she squealed, and then willed herself to calm down. "That is the best news."

"We're trying to motivate him to want to wake up. Any ideas how we can accomplish that?"

Terri immediately thought of the sleeping angel lying on her father's bed.

"Oh, yes," she said, not wanting to waste any more time. "The best motivation I can think of will be there soon."


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

A short time later, the group arrived at the hospital. Higgins had called Rick, who said he and TC and TC's wife, Tina, would meet them at the hospital.

Ron greeted them outside Magnum's room and said things continued to look promising.

Terri introduced him to Lily, who was being held by Jack.

"Does she want to see her father?" Ron asked. "Or is this setting too scary for her?"

"Let's find out," Higgins said.

He motioned for Jack to follow him to the window so Lily could see her father.

"Papa!" she said, excited when she saw Thomas' still body lying in the bed.

In French, Jonathan asked her if she wanted to go into her father's room and she nodded eagerly to convey that she did. But she also clung tighter to Jack, not wanting him to put her down.

"I can allow only two adults with the child to go in," Ron said, looking from Jack to Jonathan to Terri.

"Terri," Jonathan said, "why don't you go in with Jack and Lily?"

"Are you sure?" she asked, not certain she should be the one in the room should Thomas wake up but admitting to herself she would like to be in there should he open his eyes.

He nodded. "Yes. You had the last contact with him before he lost consciousness, and you've been with him the most since he's been in the coma. Talk to him. Maybe he will recognize your voice and open his eyes."

Terri looked to Janet who nodded and squeezed her friend's arm. "I think Jonathan's right. You and Jack and Lily should be the ones to go in."

"Are you ready?" Ron asked, as he stood near the door, ready to open it.

They nodded and then tiptoed into his room.

Both Jack and Terri found themselves trying to shield and protect Lily from the contraptions in the room, but she seemed more curious about her surroundings than afraid.

"Papa," she said, pointing to her father but looking at Jack as if wondering why her father didn't know she was in the room.

"Yes, Lily," he said softly, while rubbing her back. "Your father is asleep. We're hoping he'll wake up soon."

Terri acted out what Jack spoke; Lily seemed to understand.

"_Réveiller_," Lily said, looking at her father.

"I think she's telling Thomas to wake up," Jack whispered to Terri.

"Sorta sounded like it, I guess," she said and shrugged.

She began to feel that Jonathan should be the one in the room to help translate, but Lily seemed comfortable with them. Terri decided to try talking to Thomas.

"Thomas," Terri said, moving closer to his bed and reaching for his hand to hold it in between both of hers, "if you can manage to open your eyes, you have a wonderful surprise waiting for you."

"Papa," Lily said again, straining in Jack's arms to get closer to her father.

He brought her even on the other side of the bed with Terri.

"Lily is here, Thomas," Terri said. "Your daughter is in this very room with you, and she wants you open your eyes."

From somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, Magnum heard a voice. Actually, voices.

_Terri._

He recognized her soft, dulcet tones but knew he couldn't reach her. She was too far away. He also thought he'd heard his daughter's voice, but he knew that wasn't possible. He must still be dreaming. He liked dreaming about Terri and Lily. They brought him peace.

"Did you see that?" Terri asked, excited.

"I did," Jack said, wondering if Magnum was really ready to open his eyes and come back to them. "His fingers moved inside your hands. I saw it."

"I felt it," Terri said, extremely encouraged. "It was very strong."

_Warm. Her touch was so warm and comforting. He wanted to reach her, but he didn't know how. Too dark. Blackness surrounded him, but then a small beacon of light would shine through. Must be the dream again. Always warm and soothing when he dreamed of her. And his daughter. _

"Maybe if Lily touched him," Jack suggested.

Terri nodded. "Good idea."

Jack brought Lily to the same side as Terri who placed her smaller hand on top of her father's larger one.

"Talk to him," Jack whispered to Lily.

In French, Lily told her father to open his eyes.

Magnum recognized the language.

_French. No one speaks French, except for my daughter. And Higgins. But that is definitely not Higgins' voice. Is Lily here? With me? How can I reach her?_

While Magnum labored internally, Terri and Jack saw his outward struggle.

"He's trying to reach her," Terri said. "There's no mistake about it."

"You're right," Jack said, realizing Thomas was trying to open his eyes.

Ron, who had been standing at the foot of the bed, walked to the side Jack had vacated and examined his pupils.

"He's definitely getting closer," Ron said.

Ron had no sooner stepped away from the bed than Magnum's whole body convulsed and his eyes shot open.

"Papa!" Lily exclaimed gleefully.

Jack gently squeezed her in his arms and smiled at her.

"Isn't it wonderful?"

She didn't know what Jack had said, but the fact that everyone was smiling made her happy. She tried to go to her father, but Jack and Terri restrained her.

"Not yet," Terri said, motioning that Thomas couldn't hold her just yet.

"I think we need Jonathan," Jack said.

While he left to get Jonathan, Terri held Lily close to her and let her look at her father, who was trying to figure out what was going on. His throat was raw. He could barely speak. And his eyes weren't focusing too well either.

"It's okay, Mr. Magnum," Ron said, as he began to examine him. "I can see you are very confused."

Thomas tried to nod, but even the slightest movement was too difficult for him.

"You're in the hospital," Terri tried to explain. "You've been in a coma."

He recognized Terri and her lovely voice.

_That probably explains this gigantic headache. But Terri. She was holding Lily. That was Lily, right? He couldn't be dreaming this. He didn't want to be dreaming this. He wanted this to be very, very real. But how? Where did Lily come from? How come Terri had her? So many questions, but he couldn't ask any of them. Yet._

He recognized Higgins when he stepped into the room. Jonathan held out his arms; Lily went to him. He explained to her in French that her father was not strong enough to hold her. She wanted to know when he would be.

"We'll have to ask the doctor," he said, looking to Ron as he answered her in French. "Lily wants to know when her father will be strong enough to hold her."

"Not for a few days, at the earliest," Ron replied. "He's still very sore and in a lot of pain. We have to get him moving around."

Jonathan nodded and explained what the doctor said to Lily. She looked sad, but when Jonathan told her that her father had made remarkable improvement since she arrived, she smiled and nodded.

"He opened his eyes," she said in French and Jonathan smiled and hugged her close.

"He did that for you."

Magnum found himself amazed at how well Lily and Higgins got along.

_How long have I been out of it? And what other miracles have happened that I don't know about?_


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After each visitor spent a few minutes with Magnum, they left the hospital and went to the Club for a mini celebration. Terri and Lily stayed behind to continue to visit with Thomas.

A couple of hours later, Jack, Janet and Jonathan returned to the estate. Jonathan excused himself saying he had things he needed to take care, namely, feeding and exercising the dogs. Jack and Janet decided to go for a late afternoon walk and swim at the tidal pool.

"I am so happy Thomas is awake," Janet said, as she and Jack strolled the length of the beach while holding hands.

Janet had seemed a bit surprised when Jack asked for her hand, but now that he was holding it, the action seemed like a very natural one.

"I am, too," Jack admitted. "It was pretty amazing to watch him come out of the coma. You knew it was going to happen by his body movements, but you didn't know when."

"Do you think it was Lily's presence that made the difference?"

"I wouldn't be surprised. She definitely wanted her father to wake up."

"I hope he can hold her soon and they can communicate."

"Me, too."

Jack stalled their walk so they could look out at the refreshing water that beckoned.

"Race you to the reef," he suddenly said and sprinted towards the water with Janet trailing after him, yelling "no fair!"

Even though Jack got a head start, Janet was an excellent swimmer who caught up with him. As he was about to make the turn to head back for the shore, she splashed him with water, causing him to stumble momentarily, and was able to get ahead of him. She felt him catching up with her and tried to increase her strokes, but he was too strong for her. He passed her and won the race. As she was about to get out of the water, he kicked sand at her and then ran away. She could hear his laughter and vowed to get him.

She scooped up two handfuls of sand and ran towards him. He had slowed his pace. She wanted to get in front of him so she could throw sand at him the same way he had kicked it at her, but their feet got tangled, and they both ended up lying facedown in the hot sand.

"Oh, yuck," Janet said, trying to sit up so she could get the sand out of her mouth and her eyes.

"Are you okay?" Jack asked, brushing the grains off of his now glistening torso.

"Yeah. You?"

"I'm fine."

They both sat up and found themselves staring at one another.

"That's the most fun I've had in – I don't know when," Janet admitted and then grinned.

"Me, too," Jack said, his blue eyes twinkling in the sunlight.

He handed Janet a towel so she could wipe off the remainder of the sand.

"This is what it's supposed to be like," she said.

"What is?" Jack asked, towel-drying his hair.

"This. Hawaii. Paradise. Listen to the quiet. The stillness. Look at the swaying palm trees, the calm blue water, the white sand. Doesn't it take your breath away? This is how it's supposed to be. Not people being kidnapped, guns going off, and people ending up in comas, with their friends and loved ones wondering if they're going to live and praying that they do while holding vigils at their bedsides."

Janet leaned back and let the sun's rays warm her. She started when she felt Jack's finger rubbing something on her nose and her cheeks.

"It's just lotion," he said, showing her the bottle. "I don't want you to get sunburned."

"Thanks."

Jack sat next to her and watched the calm waves lapping gently against the rocks.

"I thought you said you didn't know if the sun would ever warm you again."

"I did wonder about that," she admitted. "Lily's being here has helped me. A lot."

"I think she's helped all of us."

"You were wonderful with her at the mall."

Jack gazed at Janet. "You were, too."

"Did you...did you ever imagine being a father when you were with Vicky?"

"I thought about it briefly, until I realized all the family issues she had. I knew if we stayed together, we would probably never have kids. And I wouldn't bring a child into this world unless I was married, so..."

Janet nodded.

"What about you?" Jack asked.

"Yeah. I definitely saw children in my future with Phillip. I was already planning for them. I think that was one of the hardest things for me to let go of. That dream. Knowing you found someone, who turned out not to be the right one, and wondering if you'll ever find anybody else. I tried telling myself it didn't matter, but the time I spent with Lily told me otherwise. I'm not ready to give up on my dream."

"And you shouldn't," Jack said, inching closer to her. "It's a great dream, Janet, and one that could very easily come true."

He brushed the hair out of her eyes and smiled as he dipped his head closer to hers.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

But she knew exactly what he was going to do, and she wanted it. Needed it. Badly.

"Something I've been wanting to do for a very long time."

As he moved his mouth closer, she began to meet him halfway. Encouraged by her response, he gently brushed his lips against her soft ones. They both tasted of water and a little sand, but neither one cared.

Janet wrapped her arms around Jack's neck and pulled him closer as he deepened the kiss. The sun seemed to be shining brighter only for them. Janet felt her insides begin to melt as Jack thoroughly tasted and teased her and held her so close she could feel the rapid beating of his heart. Or was it the quick beating of her heart?

His kiss, filled with hunger, tenderness, need and want, awakened her senses. She felt alive, fully alive, for the first time since...she didn't know when. All she knew was that she didn't want this magical moment to end.

But it finally did.

And when their lips separated, both were breathing hard and their flushed cheeks had nothing whatsoever to do with the late afternoon sun beating down on them.

"I've waited a long time to say this, Janet, and if I don't say it now, I'll explode. I love you, Janet Wood, and I want us to have a chance at a real relationship. What do you say?"

With so many conflicting emotions still swirling around inside of her, Janet didn't know what to say, so she ended up not saying anything at all.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

On the fifth day after Magnum had come out of the coma, Ron pronounced him ready to leave the hospital, if he had someone who could look after him at home. Terri gladly volunteered for the position, and after receiving permission from her supervisor, she told Ron and Thomas the good news.

"That's great," Thomas said. "Thank you."

A little while later, Jonathan drove them to the estate and Terri helped Magnum get settled in his house.

"Someone definitely cleaned up around here," he remarked with a sly grin.

Terri returned his grin. "Me. I needed something to do with all my nervous energy."

He happily sank down on the sofa and motioned for Terri to join him.

"I appreciate everything you've done. I know Lily appreciates it, too."

"It's been my pleasure," she assured him. "We've been waiting for this day and now it's here. You're finally back home where you belong."

Magnum wondered if that were true, but he wasn't up to thinking about his future at that particular moment. He just wanted to enjoy the fact he was no longer in the hospital. He visited with TC and Rick and Jack and Janet and when he had stayed up for as long as he could; he told Terri he was going to rest in his bed. She helped him get comfortable and then told him to let her know if he needed anything.

She started to rise from the bed when he reached for her hand.

"Stay with me until I fall asleep?"

"Of course."

He still had nightmares as did Janet. They both wondered if they would ever have a normal night's sleep again.

* * *

The next morning after Thomas had eaten breakfast, Higgins asked if he could have a moment alone with him. Terri nodded and excused herself. Higgins pulled up a chair and sat next to Magnum's bed. 

"You look so serious," Thomas commented. "Is Lily okay?"

"She's fine," Jonathan assured him. "This is about you."

"What about me?"

"I've been holding something for you that I think you're now well enough to hear about."

Magnum looked at Higgins curiously when he pulled out a sealed envelope from the inside pocket of his navy blue suit jacket.

"This was brought to you by Mr. Pineda. He asked that I hold it for safekeeping while you were in the hospital."

"Thank you," Magnum said, taking the envelope from Jonathan.

He slid his finger underneath the flap and opened the envelope. His hazel eyes grew huge when he saw the amount of the check. Pineda had given Magnum $250,000, too. Carlos had also attached a brief note, saying the check was to cover his fees, along with the unnecessary pain and suffering he had endured because of him and his family.

"Wow. I knew he had paid my hospital bill, but this...this is incredible."

"Spend it wisely, Magnum," Jonathan said, rising from the chair. "I trust you know how to do that, especially now that you have your daughter to think about."

Higgins left Magnum alone to ponder what receiving the check meant for his future.

"This definitely makes some of my decisions easier," he said out loud, still staring unbelievingly at the huge sum of money he had just been given.

* * *

That afternoon, Janet asked Terri if she could talk with Thomas. Alone. 

"Of course."

When Janet arrived at the guest house, Terri excused herself to the main house.

"You're looking so much better," Janet said, once they were alone.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Thomas said and winked. "Terri is an excellent nurse. She's taking wonderful care of me."

They were both seated on the couch. He had been spending more and more time up and around, which suited him fine. He needed to get his strength back.

"How about you?" Thomas asked. "I heard you had a rough time after you were freed. Are you doing better?"

Janet nodded. "I am doing better now that I know you're going to be all right. I've been wanting to thank you for saving my life."

Thomas shook his head. "I wish I could take credit for that, but I can't. I stumbled upon you in that warehouse quite by accident."

"But still. You confronted Melinda, who was holding us hostage. You gave us the chance to get out of there."

"I'm just glad you and Frank got out of there alive and that you weren't hurt."

Janet nodded.

"I heard you're leaving the Island. I feel really bad about that. I'm going to miss you very much."

"I'm going to miss you, too," Janet said, "but things just won't be the same for me here."

"I understand. I hate that something so traumatic had to happen to someone as nice as you."

"That's so sweet. Thank you."

"I mean it," he said. "I care about you. A lot. What are you going to do? What are your plans?"

"That is the $64,000 question, or should I say the $250,000 question?"

Magnum's eyes widened. "You got a check from Pineda, too?"

Janet nodded.

"Isn't it amazing?" Magnum asked.

"Yes. I was flabbergasted. What are your plans?"

"Well, I definitely need to invest some of it after I pay off my debts. I need to invest wisely. Very wisely. And I need to put some away for Lily's education and her needs. I think I'm going to take a break from the PI business for a while. I've always wanted to write a book about being a private investigator, so I think I'm going to take this opportunity to do that. I haven't said anything to Terri yet, but I would love it if she would agree to be a part of my future. A big part, if you know what I mean."

Janet's eyes widened in surprise. "You and Terri have gotten that serious? How could I not have known that?"

Thomas chuckled. "I think because I've been keeping her prisoner down here."

"You're serious?"

Thomas nodded. "We'll take it as slow as she wants to, but yes. I definitely don't want to lose her. She's become a very important part of my life. I can't imagine my life without her in it."

Magnum's words gave Janet pause. Was that how Jack felt about her? And now that Jack had re-entered Janet's life, could she imagine him not being around? Did she even want to?

"Did I say something profound?" Thomas asked and smiled, noting the serious expression on Janet's lovely face.

"You said something that I never thought about and now that I have, I don't like the answer. Not one bit."

"What did I say?"

"You said you couldn't imagine Terri not being in your life. I just realized there's someone I couldn't imagine not being in my life either. I need to tell him that. Thank you, Thomas. Thank you very much."

"You're welcome," he said, as Janet bounded off the sofa and headed for the staircase as if she were being chased.

When she reached the top of the landing, Thomas' voice stopped her.

"You know I wish you and Jack nothing but the best."

He smiled and nodded knowingly as Janet laughed and shook her head.

* * *

A few minutes later, Janet found Jack sitting on the terrace reading a sports magazine he had purchased at the mall. She sat down next to him and tore the magazine out of his hands. 

"Hey," he complained, "I was reading that."

"What I have to tell you is more important," she said, reaching for his hands.

"Okay," he said, noting how serious she looked and sounded. "What's up?"

"Remember when I received that check from Mr. Pineda and you told me I needed to invest it?"

"Yeah. So?"

"I've found the perfect thing to invest in."

"You have?" he asked, sounding skeptical. "When did you start reading the stock market pages?"

"This is not part of the stock market. This is an investment in us. In our future."

"Our future?" he asked, clearly not understanding. "I didn't think we had a future."

Janet's non answer to his declaration of love had remained with him and probably always would, he realized.

"I wasn't sure about anything when you told me you loved me, Jack, but now I know what's in my heart. I love you, too, Jack. I tried to picture my life without you in it, and I couldn't do it. You are right in the middle of every good thing that has ever happened to me. I'm sorry I didn't say anything when we were on the beach. I know that was a mean thing to do. I've just been so scared and frightened and afraid to feel, afraid to commit, afraid to live. But that day on the beach, you got to me, Jack. You helped me get out of myself for a while, and it felt wonderful. I come alive when I'm around you because I realized you are the very best part of my life. And together we're better, right?"

"Together, we can be unstoppable," he said, standing up and lifting her out of the chair to swing her around.

"I think so, too," she said, running her fingers through his soft hair, as they stared at each other. "That's why I want you to take whatever you need from my check and invest it in the Bistro or any other restaurant you want. I'm going back to Santa Monica with you, Jack, whenever you say you're ready to go. My future is with you, and I won't ever doubt that again. I love you so much."

Jack's clear blue eyes misted as he heard the words he had been longing to hear and thought he never would. "I love you, too, baby, and I'll spend the rest of my life proving that to you."

"You don't have anything to prove to me," she said. "But I love the part about us spending the rest of our lives together."

"Me, too, Janet," he said, holding her close and swinging her around again. "Our forever starts right now."

Janet agreed and then agreed some more when Jack sealed their future with a red hot, smoldering kiss that set her insides on fire.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

With a lot of help from his friends, a week after he'd arrived home from the hospital, Thomas Magnum was able to make one of his plans a reality. When Terri returned to the guest house after being driven all around town by Rick on a wild goose chase, she gasped with pleasure and surprise when she saw what awaited her. A table for two had been set with the flames from the candles dancing in the middle. Other candles were lit strategically around the living room giving off a soft glow. Quiet romantic music played in the background. As Terri's eyes adjusted to the light, Thomas entered from the bedroom, wearing black pants and a black pullover, the color she loved most on him, next to white.

"What is all this?" she asked, stepping closer to the table.

"I wanted to surprise you, and it looks like I've succeeded," he said, holding out a chair for her to sit.

"You certainly have. What smells so delicious?"

"You mean, besides me?" he whispered in her ear.

She grinned and shook her head. "I'm talking about the food, but..."

"First, we eat," he said, quickly making his way to the oven before Terri could distract him.

He removed the lasagna Jack had prepared for them and placed it on the table. Then, he took the salad Jack had tossed together from the refrigerator and added it to the table. Finally, he carried the warm sourdough bread and the bottle of white wine to the table to complete their meal.

"Wow, this all looks fabulous," Terri said. "Forgive me, Thomas, but I know you did not cook this. This has Jack's handiwork all over it."

"You're right. I give him all the credit."

After Thomas had poured the wine, their first toast was to Jack to thank him for preparing their delicious meal.

"This is so unexpected," Terri said.

"Is it?" Thomas asked, leaning closer to her.

"Well, yes. I didn't think you would be able to put something like this together. You didn't overdo it, did you?"

"Terri," Thomas said, reaching for her hand and gently rubbing the back of it with the pad of his thumb, "you need to stop being my nurse tonight and just be my date. Okay?"

Terri swallowed hard. "You-you're date? Okay. Sure. I can do that."

Thomas smiled. "Can you? Really?"

"Yes, of course, I can."

Thomas' gentle hand movements were causing Terri's insides to flutter. Majorly. What was going on here? This was more than just a simple thank you dinner from a patient to his nurse.

When he finally removed his hand, he served Terri a piece of lasagna and some salad. She was so nervous; she didn't think she could eat a bite. But she knew how good Jack's lasagna tasted, and she didn't want to waste it.

"This is very nice," she said, when she had finally calmed down.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Thomas said, his hazel eyes twinkling, "because I thought this was the perfect setting for what I want to say."

Terri's heart began its rapid beating again as did her pulse. She willed herself to calm down, but she couldn't do it. Thomas was up to something, and if it was what she thought, she didn't know what she was going to say.

"We've been spending a lot of time together," he began.

Terri nodded in agreement.

"And I know you're my nurse first and foremost, but that's not how I think of you, Terri. I think of you as a lovely, attractive woman who has a lot to offer. I've come to care about you a great deal. I respect you and what you stand for so much. I wasn't ever sure I would find someone as wonderful as you again. I've had romances since Michelle died, don't get me wrong, but when it came down to it, I couldn't commit myself to any of them. I don't know. Michelle's ghost always seemed to be right there, waiting for me to mess up. I don't feel that way when I'm around you. I feel at peace, with the world and with myself. I felt it in the hospital. Even when I was in the coma, I would hear your voice, and it would soothe me. Comfort me. I never wanted you to leave me. Now that I'm awake and almost fully recovered, I feel the same way. I love you, Terri, and I don't want to ever be without you."

Before he could reach for Terri, she was out of her chair and in his arms.

"That was so beautiful," she said, letting the tears slide uncheck down her cheeks, as they held each other close. "I love you, too, Thomas. I think I have from the first time I met you, but I didn't think it would ever be possible that you could feel that way about me. Hearing you say those words to me is something I will never, ever forget."

He gently pulled her away so he could wipe her cheeks.

"I'm taking a break from the PI business for a while."

She nodded as she used her napkin to dry her eyes.

"Pineda's check has afforded me some luxuries I never thought I would have. I want to take some time to heal properly, and then I want to see if I can actually write this book I've had in my mind for years about being a private investigator."

"I think that's a great idea," Terri said.

He stroked her long blonde hair with the palms of his hands as he gazed into her eyes. "I'm never going to be a white picket fence kind of guy," he told her, "but I think we could have a good life together. You, me and Lily. What do you say, Terri? Will you marry me?"

"Yes," Terri said and nodded exuberantly, right before she burst into tears of happiness. Again.

Once they had spent a sufficient amount of time celebrating their engagement, which included some serious probing, hungry, tongue-tasting and teasing kissing that had Terri ready to pour a pitcher of ice water on herself, Thomas called Higgins and asked him if he could bring Lily to the guest house.

When she arrived, Thomas explained to her, in Vietnamese, that Terri was going to be his wife and her new mother. He explained that Terri would never take Michelle's place but that she was going to be a part of their lives and was she okay with that.

Lily nodded happily and hugged her father and then her soon-to-be step-mother.

"_Bienvenue_," Lily said, wanting to welcome Terri to their family.

And Terri knew exactly what the little girl had said.

"_Merci_," Terri replied.

And then Thomas drew both of them into his arms for their first official family hug.

"Won't it be something when we all speak and can understand one language?" he said, shaking his head.

Terri laughed and nodded.

When Thomas translated his words into Vietnamese for his daughter, she laughed, too.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Once Thomas was feeling better, the happy couples went ring shopping. In the meantime, another couple had been added to the mix. Rick had met a lovely woman named Cleo and after a whirlwind romance, they had decided to get married, too.

"Something's definitely in the air or the water," TC commented.

His wife laughed and good-naturedly poked him in his ribs.

Finally, Janet and Jack's last night on Oahu had arrived. They were headed back for the mainland the next morning. A combined good-bye and congratulations party was being thrown for the three couples at the King Kamehameha Club. A good time was being had by all.

The men were congregating by the bar and trading Navy stories. The women were at various tables, talking about weddings, babies and anniversaries.

An hour into the party, some of Thomas' relatives from the East Coast arrived, including his mother Catherine, his cousin Karen and her husband Don. Thomas took pleasure in introducing them to his friends, and he especially enjoyed introducing them to Lily and Terri. While Catherine asked to spend time with her granddaughter, Karen joined in the wedding conversations and Don joined the men to talk about whatever the topic was at the moment.

Terri was thrilled to learn that Thomas' relatives would return for their wedding.

"Are you kidding?" Karen said. "We wouldn't miss it for anything. We will definitely be here."

"We're getting married at sunset on the beach outside of the estate," Terri happily shared. "It won't be for several months because we want everything to be perfect, and besides, we have to go to Santa Monica to attend the wedding of my best friends, Janet and Jack, first."

"I'm sure it will be," Catherine said, joining them as she carried Lily to the table. "And I know this precious girl is going to have a very special part in that wedding."

"She definitely will," Terri agreed.

"She's going to be my flower girl," Cleo spoke up. "Rick and I are getting married about a month before Terri and Thomas."

"You must take lots of pictures," Catherine instructed her soon-to-be daughter-in-law.

"I will," she said.

Catherine talked to Janet and congratulated her on her upcoming nuptials.

"Thank you," Janet said.

When Karen asked to see the ring, Janet gladly obliged.

They had picked out a two carat princess cut engagement ring that fit Janet's slim finger perfectly.

"It's beautiful," Karen gushed.

Catherine agreed.

"Thank you."

"How come you're not getting married here?" Karen asked.

When Janet explained about her ordeal, the attractive brunette nodded.

"I'm sorry. I did know about that. Thomas mentioned it when he called. I hope I haven't dredged up bad memories for you. That's the last thing I want to do on such a special night."

"You didn't," Janet assured her. "I'm fine. We will have some of the Island with us, though. We bought Hawaiian wedding rings with our names engraved in Hawaiian and we're ordering leis for our wedding."

"Sounds lovely," Catherine said.

"We think it will be," Janet said. "And now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'm going to find my darling husband-to-be."

As Janet went off in search of Jack, she was pleased to note that she really was fine and couldn't be happier about their upcoming move and wedding.

* * *

After a long night of partying and saying fond farewells, the couples danced one last time to a popular Island song. As they swayed and moved to the music, Janet thought about the good memories she would take with her. She only hoped she would be able to leave the bad ones behind.

She didn't know it, but Jack was thinking the same thing. He loved Janet so much. He wanted to make everything right in her world, but he knew it wouldn't happen all at once. She still needed time. He was willing to give her that, knowing they were on, what he believed, to be the right path. At long last.

* * *

The next morning, the trio heard the beep of the horn. Thomas was taking Jack and Janet to the airport and then driving Terri to the estate, where she would stay in one of the guest rooms in the main house until their wedding. Janet and Terri had packed up everything they owned and had given notice to their landlady. As they looked around one more time to make sure they hadn't left anything behind, Jack opened the door.

"Haven't we done this once before?" he asked and then grinned.

"Yes, we have," Janet said, shaking her head.

"It's too early for you to try to be funny," Terri commented, as she scooted by him before he could playfully hit her.

The trio looked at the apartment once more before Janet told Jack to go ahead and close the door.

"It's time for our future to begin," Janet said. "And we all have so much to look forward to."

As Terri reached Thomas so they could share a good morning kiss and Jack made himself comfortable in the back seat next to the love of his life, they couldn't have agreed with Janet more.

This time, the future would be everything they wanted it to be. And more.


	28. Epilogue

Epilogue

Each wedding was spectacular and unique in its own way. Jack and Janet were married in a small church just outside of Santa Monica, with all of their family and friends in attendance. The Bistro was the site of the reception, and a good time was had by all. The wedding night and honeymoon were spent in Carmel. The late summer weather only added to their enjoyment. Two more contented people could not be found, in Carmel, or anywhere else for that matter. Just ask Mr. and Mrs. Jack Tripper.

Two months later, Cleo and Rick said their "I Dos" at the King Kamehameha Club, the site of their original meeting. Thomas and TC had taken care of most of the details. What they couldn't accomplish, Higgins gladly did. Their wedding was small; Jack and Janet wished them well via the telephone as they were unable to make it but wanted them to know they were thinking of them and sending them their best wishes.

A week before Christmas, when the temperature was still in the high 70's, Thomas and Terri said their vows just as they had planned: at sunset on the beach just outside of Robin's Nest. The ceremony was short but beautiful. Lily had learned a few English words that only added to the special occasion. The reception was held in the main ballroom of the estate. It was a time of laughter and cheer and catching up with Jack and Janet. Lily even favored them with a Christmas carol or two.

As one year ended and another one began, each couple looked at their own wedding album and then that of their friends and remembered what a great time the last half of the year had brought them.

As they called to sing "Auld Lang Syne" to one another and to wish each other the best of new years, they knew how special a bond they had formed. It was one that would never be broken.

So, it was no surprise when the phone call came in June. Cleo announced to her friends that she and Rick were expecting. The baby was due in January. Thomas and Terri were thrilled for their friends, as were Janet and Jack.

A couple of weeks later, Terri and Thomas announced they had news. They were expecting, as well. Janet's gleeful shout caused them to pull the receiver away from their ears, but they were just as ecstatic.

"When are you due?" Janet asked.

"In February," Terri said. "Now all we need is for you to tell us you're pregnant," Terri said.

And that call soon came. Terri and Cleo, as well as Thomas and Rick, were thrilled their friends were expecting, too. The three women were pregnant, and they were three months apart.

"This is so weird but so fantastic," Terri said, as they had a three-way call to talk about their pregnancies.

"I agree," Janet said.

"Ricky is being so cute," Cleo said. "I have no idea what to do, but he's already talking about boiling water and setting out blankets."

Janet and Terri laughed along with their friend.

"Thomas hasn't said much, but I know he's thrilled," Terri said. "He never knew Michelle was pregnant, so I know he's going to enjoy every moment of this."

"Jack, too," Janet said, her voice wistful. "It's almost more than we had imagined or hoped for. I plan to do everything I can to make sure this baby is healthy."

The other two agreed with Janet regarding their own pregnancies.

As the months flew by, the women grew bigger. They had all decided they did not want to know the gender of their babies until they were born. The husbands, reluctantly, went along with their wives' wishes.

In the middle of January, the phone call came announcing the first birth. Cleo had given birth to a girl they named Wendy Marie, after Rick's sister, who had died several years earlier.

In early February, Thomas, the proud father of a boy they named Thomas Sullivan Magnum, IV, called to let his friends share in their good news. Both mother and son were doing fine.

Finally, in late March, a dazed Jack called to let their friends know he was the father of not only a daughter but also a son. Janet had given birth to twins. He still couldn't believe it, but he was ecstatic nonetheless. Janet was tired and already fretting about having to take care of two babies, but Jack assured them all was well. At least, he thought so, as all he could imagine was plenty of sleepless nights ahead.

They named the twins Jacqueline and Jack, Jr., wanting to keep the "J" theme alive.

And so life went on. Noisier and more hectic than it had been before, especially for Jack and Janet, but still, over a year later, none of the couples would have changed anything about their lives.

Rick got promoted at the King Kamehameha Club and was now on the board of directors. Jack owned a controlling interest in the Bistro and was looking to invest in another restaurant in the Los Angeles area. And Thomas just received word that his book about becoming a private investigator had found a publisher.

When they called each other on New Year's Eve, Thomas told them the good news.

"Next year, at this time, be on the lookout. My book, 'How To Be A World-Class Private Investigator' will be in a bookstore near you. So, buy a copy, okay?"

They all laughed and said they would.

"So, what does that mean for you, my friend?" Rick asked.

"Yeah?" Jack echoed. "You have to reenter the workforce, don't you?"

Thomas sighed. "I guess so. I guess it's time to get the ol' answering machine geared up again. Hey, Rick, how about you? Are you ready to look up some license plate numbers for me again?"

As they all shared a hearty and heartfelt laugh, the strains of "Auld Lang Syne" played in the background.

"Here's to another great year," Jack said, and then he kissed his wife and his children to wish them a very, very Happy New Year.

THE END :-)


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